Junior guard buries game-winning three-pointer in final seconds to net Division I tourney win
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Bellefontaine’s Dawsin Tillman sets up for a three-point shot in the final seconds that beat Northmont on Saturday in Vandalia. (EXAMINER PHOTO | TONY BARRETT) |
VANDALIA — With the final seconds ticking off the clock and his team trailing Northmont by two points, Bellefontaine’s Dawsin Tillman knew he had to find a way to make something happen.
Tillman corralled a rebound off a missed three-point attempt by Jack Clement, dribbled to the corner, used a shot fake to create space against a defender and then launched a three-pointer that found the bottom of the net for a dramatic 46-45 victory over the Thunderbolts in a Division I sectional tournament opener at Vandalia Butler High School.
“I knew I had to get a shot up,” said Tillman. “I faked the guy a little bit to try to get him off his feet and that gave me a little space. It didn’t feel very good as I was going into the shot, but once it left my hands I knew it was going in.”
There were still a few seconds remaining when Tillman’s shot went through the net, but Northmont was out of timeouts and could not stop the clock.
After it expired, Tillman was mobbed by his teammates in a huge pileup near the Chieftain basket.
“Our kids have shown great resolve all season,” said Bellefontaine head coach Henry Stolly. “We have faced some things at times, but our kids have done a great job of being resilient. This was another case of that.”
Read complete story in Monday’s Examiner.
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