The Winning Shot

Author's Note- In this story, I talk about when I was in basketball and did something that my team would never forget. In this event, this story made everything sentimental to me. In my story, look for dialog and great use of vocabulary.

“Timeout, Pewaukee!” The ref said, “For a 30 second time out.” My team ran to the bench, waiting for what my coach was going to say. “Alright girls, bring it in, bring it in,” my coach said. “We can’t afford to lose this game to a team that we can beat. I know you girls are better than this. You need to go out there and give it your all.” What was my coach thinking, that we were like high school players? This team was extremely good and we were playing our best. My heart started racing and my hands got really sweaty. I knew right then that we had to make some sort of play to get the ball to me so I could shoot a 3 pointer to win the game. But how because my team wasn’t very sufficient at passing? “Everybody, we have 3 minutes left. Now’s the time to get the ball to A-Train so she can shoot a three and win the game,” my coach said. I was in shock right after he said what he said. It’s like our minds were connected. I knew right then that I was going to go down into history for my team, and win the game.

After the timeout was over, our team got back into the game, including me, and the other team had the ball. As they were coming down, I was thinking about what I was going to do as the point guard was passing the ball. Should I steal and run for it or wait until we get the ball back? Then I heard my coach screaming on the sideline, “Come on Allison, get that ball!” Man alive, I was guarding my player and watching the ball, way over by the sideline and the point guard was at the top of the three point line. How in the name of basketball earth was I supposed to get that ball? I wasn’t going to listen to him because there was no way that I was going to steal. As I was guarding my player and watching the ball, the other team passes it and throws it to our team. I look at the clock and there was only 2:13 seconds left of the game. We were still down 19-21. As my team and I ran down the court, I started to get really nervous. I heard the crowd cheering and my coach screaming. I had to get the ball and get the three before time was up. My team has never won a Dells Tournament and I wanted today to be the day, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. The point guard on our team was bringing the ball down, as I got to my spot around the three point line. I looked around me and there was no one guarding me. I waved my arms up and down for my point guard to see me and pass the ball to me. My point guard saw me and we looked each other in the face as if she was going to pass the ball to me or not. I quickly looked at the clock and there was only 1:30 left. I heard my coach behind me screaming, “Come on! Pass the ball to A-Train!” For once, I agreed with my coach. Finally, she passed the ball to me. I got really nervous at that point. I took my position, raised my form, and let go of the ball and watched it roll to the basketball hoop. I was watching the ball, anxiously waiting to see if it went in. Then, my mouth dropped all the way to the floor. The ball swooshed in the net! The ball went SWOOSH! The crowd went wild and I bolted down the court with my hands in the air and my teammates hugging me. With 47 seconds to go, I screamed to my team, “Do not let them get any more points!” The reason why I said it is because the score was 22-21 and we didn’t want them to get a foul, layup or any type of shot that could gain them points. I wanted the clock to end so badly!

With 15 seconds to go and the score still 22-21, the other team had the ball and look like they were about to shoot. The other team passed the ball and I stole it. When I got the ball back for our team, I stood in my position, holding it so that no one would take it and because there was only 5 seconds left in the game. I started to dribble and I held up my fingers: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0! When the buzzer buzzed, I threw the ball up in the air and went to the bench where my teammates were waiting. This was the first year that my select team had one a Wisconsin Dells Tournament. All my teammates came up to me and hugged and congratulating me for what I had done for my team. Once everyone had cleared out, I kneeled on the floor and was about to cry because I had just made history. I could already think about it. “Allison Andes shoots a three point shot and wins the tournament, 22-21.” I ran up to my parents and gave them a big hug, all choked up from the what was now, the winning shot. “Congratulations Allison! You just won the game! Oh, I am so proud of you!” My mom said. “Great job Allison. And that was a good form too,” my dad said. This day  was truly the best day of my life. I had never done this before, in all of my years in basketball.

After everyone had cleared out of the gym, my team started to head into another gym that had been cleared out for about 2 hours. When I walked in, there was a huge trophy, that was about 6 feet tall! I ran over to it and gave it a big hug because I was ready for my coach to say, “For all the hard effort that this team did today, I am awarding this trophy to A-Train, for making the winning shot. Thanks a lot Allison and congratulations.” I wanted to hear those words come out of his mouth. I saw my coach walking through the door and he said, “Alright team, gather around the trophy for pictures. I hopped on to the bleachers and stood right behind it to get a good picture. After about 5 minutes of taking pictures, I got an individual one with just me and the trophy because it was a special moment. My team went by my coach to wrap up the season. “Awesome job today ladies and Allison, especially you for your winning shot-“ Here it comes. The words that I wanted to hear and the big trophy in my hand. “To end the year, you all get these special T-Shirts from the school.” Unbelievable. This is the first year, out of four years of the Dells Tournament that we got 1^st place in, and all we get is a lousy shirt? I wanted that big trophy for what I did with my team! Everyone started to ask, “Why can’t we take home to big trophy?” “The reason why is because it belongs to this school. This is a trophy just for the team that gets first place, so we give you these T-Shirts,” said the runner of the tournament. My coaches handed out all of the T-Shirts and I asked my parents what sized I needed. “You will probably need a medium,” my mom said. I went over to my coach and grabbed a medium. Then I headed back to my parents and complained to them how we got a lousy T-Shirt instead of a trophy, especially the big one. At the end of the day, all that mattered to me was my winning shot. I will never forget the day I made history in making my Winning Shot.