By Preston Mullins, Stentorian Staff Writer
There was a little extra excitement in the air on the evening of February 3rd, 2025. It was Senior night and the Class of 2025 players, managers, and cheerleaders would be recognized pregame.
As soon as the Senior night festivities wrapped up, the players turned their attention to basketball. That evening, the boy’s team faced off against the Franklin Academy Patriots; the winner would be atop the Super Six Conference standings at the end of the night. The Unis weren’t exactly favorites; they had fallen 67-53 on the road to the Patriots less than two weeks earlier. Despite this, there was a hopeful vibe emanating from the crowd. The NCSSM boys basketball team was having one of the best seasons in their history; a win here would go a long way for their hopes of qualifying for the 2A State Playoffs.
The moment of the tip-off arrived and the two teams were off and running, trading baskets back and forth. NCSSM got hot right out of the gate, and the Unis held an 18-14 lead at the end of the first quarter. As the second quarter began, the Patriots settled in and began to shift the momentum back their way.
The home crowd that had been raucously cheering just minutes earlier had quieted down significantly by halftime with Franklin Academy snatching a slim 31-29 lead at the break. There was an air of uncertainty throughout the building. The third quarter got underway and the Unis silenced the away fans as they began to regain the momentum they had earlier in the game. They brought a whole new level of energy after halftime and retook the lead 48-46 by the end of the period. This matchup was clearly going to be a nail-biter to the finish and the nervousness of the fans and students was palpable by this point.
Franklin Academy would hold a 59-57 lead with under ten seconds to play, but the Unis had the ball. Guard Ethann Burkett ‘25 was fouled with 4.5 seconds to go, which meant he would head to the free throw line to take two shots to potentially tie the game. The pressure on his shoulders was enormous, but he would calmly sink both free throws to knot things up at 59.
On the ensuing Patriot inbounds pass, the unthinkable happened. Forward Jay Peng ‘26 stole the pass and took a mid-range jumper as the seconds ticked toward zero.
Swish. The buzzer sounded; the Unis had won! The fans and players from the bench stormed the court and crowded around Jay, cheering.
What a thrilling night for Uni basketball! I got a chance to speak with Peng, as well as Burkett and Harry Gribbin ‘26, a fan who was in attendance that night.
When asked about that final shot, Peng said, “I can’t say I’ve ever practiced that shot before but as it was leaving my hands I knew it was going in. I didn’t think about it, I just let it fly. When the game ended, the feeling was surreal. As the students rushed the court, I felt on top of the world. These are the moments you dream of; it felt like a dream come true.”
When explaining how he felt as he stepped up to the free throw line, Burkett said, “I knew that I couldn’t let the doubt and nervousness overcome me. I had to step up and be confident that I would hit those shots. I shot the first one and it felt just right so I knew as soon as I shot the second one that it was going in too.”
Finally, Gribbin described his experience as a fan by saying, “It was the most exciting last minute of basketball I’ve ever witnessed. When Jay Peng stole the ball and swished the most incredible buzzer-beater I’ve ever seen, the gym erupted in cheer and we stormed the court, celebrating with the team.”
Not only did this game deliver a thrilling finish, but it was also the perfect Senior Night result and a critical shot in the arm for the Unis, who were already having an extremely successful season. Nobody entering the building that night knew what was about to transpire, but it would certainly be a game that the students and fans would never forget.
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