—Buck Frank
Player: Chris DiRoma, Bellwood-Antis
Opponent: Williamsburg
Date: Thursday, March 8, 1979
Site: Bishop Guilfoyle High School gymnasium
Setting the scene: Bellwood entered the District 6 Class A semifinals with a 14-14 record after starting the year 1-7. Williamsburg was 16-13 after an 0-7 start.
The shot: Bellwood trailed, 71-69, with four seconds left in regulation and Williamsburg at the free-throw line. After a missed foul shot, DiRoma raced upcourt and fired up a shot from one step over midcourt. The ball may have brushed the ceiling, according to some eyewitness accounts, and banked in at the buzzer to send the game to its first overtime. Later, in the second overtime, Bellwood won, 85-83, on Don Erickson’s foul shots.
Mirror excerpt from Friday, March 9, 1979: But DiRoma, putting a fitting end to an incredible performance, rescued the Devils with his halfcourt crowd-exploder. — Neil Rudel
(To view the entire original article of this game, go to altoonamirror.com.)
Memories:
—DiRoma: “Nowadays, that shot would be a 3-pointer and would have won the game. I remember when if left my hands, I thought it had a shot at reaching the basket, and it banked in.’’
—Galen Bickel, coach: “It was a legitimate on-the-run shot from midcourt.’’
—Don Appleman, opposing coach: “We lost, but you had to tip your hat to Bellwood. It was just a fun game to watch.’’
Aftermath: After DiRoma’s heroics, which also included a game-high 30 points, Bellwood fell to Conemaugh Valley, 72-70, in the district final the very next night at BG. DiRoma, who has a daughter attending Penn State University and two sons, currently lives in the Tampa, Fla., area and owns his own brokerage company.
Have a memorable shot? E-mail bfrank@altoonamirror.com.
