—Buck Frank
Player: Joey Kitt, Central
Opponent: Lewistown
Date: Friday, March 3, 1995
Site: St. Francis University’s DeGol Arena
Setting the scene: Central entered the District 6 Class AAA final with a 19-6 record and faced Mountain League rival Lewistown, which had beaten the Dragons twice during the regular season.
The shot: With 14 seconds remaining and the score tied 70-70, Tom Wareham came up with a rebound of a missed Lewistown free throw and handed the ball off to Kitt, a sophomore. Bypassing a timeout, Kitt brought the ball upcourt looking for leading scorer Ben Bithell, who was double-teamed. Moving to his right, Kitt buried a 12-foot jumper just inside the free-throw line with two seconds left. A Lewistown desperation shot bounced off the rim, and Central claimed its second-ever district title.
Mirror excerpt from Saturday, March 4, 1995: It is not so much that Central won, though, but how it won that left the capacity crowd numb from witnessing a playoff gem. — Neil Rudel
(To view the entire original articles from this game, go to altoonamirror.com.)
Memories:
—Kitt: “I remember watching it on tape shortly after we won the game, and it seemed to happen so quickly. It seemed a lot slower to me when it was actually happening in the game.’’
—Reggie Nevins, coach: “That’s the shot people still talk about the most in the Cove area.’’
—Kitt: “[Bithell] made big shot after big shot that night and deserves all the credit for the win. I just happened to make the last shot.’’
Aftermath: Central edged Montour, 67-64, in the first round of the state playoffs, then fell to Seton LaSalle, 58-55, in the Western quarterfinals. Kitt is now a fifth-grade teacher and the varsity football coach for the Claysburg-Kimmel School District. He and his wife, Emily, reside in Roaring Spring.
Have a memorable shot? E-mail bfrank@altoonamirror.com.
