—Buck Frank
Player: Jill Humbertson, Altoona
Opponent: Woodland Hills
Date: Tuesday, March 19, 1996
Site: IUP Memorial Field House
Setting the scene: The 23-5 Lady Lions were the defending PIAA Class AAAA champions but had lost five Division I signees from the previous season. With senior point guard/leader Courtney Kaup on the bench with five fouls, Altoona trailed Woodland Hills, 53-48, with less than one minute remaining in the Western final.
The shot: Backup sophomore point guard Tracy Tyler’s steal and assist to Deanna Jubeck and two free throws helped Altoona pull within 55-54 with 13 seconds left. Humbertson then tied up Woodland Hills’ Cristin Greco to give Altoona possession with six seconds remaining. Tyler then inbounded the ball to Humbertson, who banked in the game-winner.
Mirror excerpt from Wednesday, March 20, 1996: Altoona fans immediately pelted the court with Hershey kisses and rushed out of the stands to mob the Lady Lions. —Jim Lane
(To view the entire original articles from this game, go to altoonamirror.com.)
Memories:
—Humbertson: “I remember people leaving. They thought we were going to lose the game. I kept telling [teammates], ‘We’re gonna win this.’’’
—Art Taneyhill, coach: “We ran that play for Jill Humbertson, and she banked the ball in to win the game. Every previous time we had run it, she never banked it — she had always shot it up over the rim.’’
Aftermath: Altoona went on to defend its state title in Hershey with a 55-48 victory over Northampton. Humbertson currently lives in New Castle, raising her 2-year-old son and working as a cosmetologist.
Have a memorable shot? E-mail bfrank@altoonamirror.com.
