Video: Storm the court worthy play
See Justin Hardy send the St. Charles East fans into a court-rushing frenzy.
A buzzer-beater to beat your rival? Legend status. Doing it two years in a row? Drop the mic.
Justin Hardy again broke the hearts of
St. Charles North (Ill.) fans Friday when his last-second heave gave
St. Charles East (Ill.) a 53-50 win.
The game was tied at 50 with 3.3 seconds remaining and North inbounded the ball, attempting a full-court pass. The ball was deflected, just past half court, back toward the Fighting Saints' basket by East's
Cody Mitchell. The ball bounced to Hardy, who grabbed it, turned and fired an off-balance, fade-away. Bottom of the net. Cue the Saints' student section rushing the court.
"The last thing coach (Patrick Woods) said out of the huddle was, ‘we steal and shoot it if it's loose,'" Hardy told
the Daily Herald. "I told myself before the play that as soon as it gets inbounded, I'm turning around and sprinting to half court. It ended up loose by the volleyball line. I thought I had time – thankfully I did – and I put it up."
It wasn't the first time Hardy, or East, has broken the hearts of North Star fans.
In 2016, Hardy drained a catch-and-shoot, half-court trey as the Saints beat North 59-58 for the championship of East's Thanksgiving tournament. East started the buzzer-beating trend in 2015 as JT Ford's back-breaker gave East a 46-45 win over North.
"I don't have a real good feeling after this one," North coach Tom Poulin told the Daily Herald after Saturday's loss.
