POMONA, Calif. - An estimated 1,631 fans witnessed "Mitchel's Miracle" live at Kellogg Gym on Friday night. Now, thanks to Sportscenter and YouTube, more than two million people have been able to view the epic ending to Cal Poly Pomona's double-overtime win.
Notes on Media Coverage
The wild finish to Friday's game aired Saturday and Sunday on ESPNNEWS, ESPN and ESPN2. The incredible buzzer beater from
Mitchel Anderson in double overtime ranked as SportsCenter's Top Play throughout the weekend and also was included in
ESPN LA's Plays of the Week. The story also appeared on
CBS and KCAL news. Online, the highlights were featured on the front page of
YouTube.com,
L.A. Times Sports Now,
Yahoo Sports,
Deadspin and
The Poly Post. As of Sunday night,
one YouTube clip had almost 300,000 views.
Here's some of the social media buzz about the game...
CBSSports.com: "Kaboom. And kaboom. And KABOOM! There were a reported 1,631 people inside Kellogg Gym in Pomona, Calif., Friday night. Ten years from now, that number will swell to at least five times over due to 'first person' recounts thanks to how legendary this ending was... My favorite detail: there wasn't a single point scored in the first overtime. First the drought, then came the rain."
FULL POST HERE
USAToday.com: "One of the best parts about YouTube is it brings us moments we didn't get to witness live... Friday's double-overtime game between Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State [Dominguez Hills] featured plenty of those moments."
FULL POST HERE
thebiglead.com: "Friday's game... had one of the most exciting finishes in college basketball this season. Maybe of all-time."
FULL POST HERE
buzzfeed.com: "In double overtime with 15 seconds left, the lead keeps changing hands in a series of amazing last-ditch shots. And then everyone loses their minds."
FULL POST HERE
Also, be sure to check out
this YouTube clip posted by Ryan Andrews, a Cal Poly Pomona alum who graduated in 2009 with a degree in kinesiology. It gives a different angle on the shot, confirming that Anderson released the ball before the buzzer sounded.
Story of Friday's Game
Wow. Conference rivalry. Double overtime. Regular season finale. Buzzer beater from beyond halfcourt. What more can you ask for?
Cal Poly Pomona topped Cal State Dominguez Hills Friday with a
Mitchel Anderson three-quarter court shot at the buzzer in double overtime lifting the Broncos to the 60-58 victory.
"I've seen games like this on TV but never been a part of one until now," Broncos' head coach
Greg Kamansky. "I'm happy for our seniors since this was their night."
Friday's game at Kellogg Gym was an emotional rollercoaster for the 1,631 fans in attendance.
Prior to the game, the Broncos honored their four senior student-athletes:
Dwayne Fells,
Matt Rosser,
Tyquan Brown and
Bob Brakeville. The host CPP squad held a lead for the final 14 minutes of regulation but in the final seconds, the Toros got a three-pointer from Robert Willhite that sent the game into overtime at 48-48.
After the two squads didn't score a single point in the first overtime, the Broncos found themselves down 55-54 heading into the final minute of the second overtime.
This time it was
DeRonn Scott's turn to be a hero, as he sank a three-pointer from the right side of the arc to put the host CPP squad up by two with 8.7 seconds to play. On the other side of the floor though, Willhite delivered again. Hanging in the air and ducking out of the way of his defender, he dropped in the go-ahead bucket with 0.6 seconds on the clock.
With no timeouts, the Broncos were in scramble mode while the Toros' bench tried to keep from charging the floor in celebration.
Fielding the inbounds pass and taking a step to the three-quarter court hash mark, Anderson let fly a long heave. The moment frozen in time for Broncos' fans started with the ball leaving Anderson's hands a split second before the buzzer sounded. The miracle shot dropped in, leaving the Toros in disbelief as the crazed fans at Kellogg Gym stormed the court.
Overall on the night, three CPP players finished in double figures for scoring, led by Anderson's 17 points. Brown contributed his second career double-double effort with 12 points and 12 rebounds while Scott totaled 13 points of his own.
The unbelievable finish caps off of the Broncos' regular season at marks of 18-7 overall and 15-7 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), just one win away from sharing the conference's regular season with Chico State (16-6).
Up next, CPP will host Cal State Stanislaus Tuesday in first-round action for the conference tournament. Tipoff will be 7:30 p.m. with the Broncos seeded second and the Warriors at the No. 7 spot. The winner will move on to the semifinal round at UC San Diego on Friday, March 2.
