Starch Insanity: Montana State’s buzzer beater provides us our first glimpse of March magic

You’ve heard of March Insanity. We’re right here to let you know about Starch Insanity.

That’s what the Huge Sky calls its convention match performed in Boise, Idaho — you already know, the house of potatoes. And on Wednesday night time in its championship recreation for girls’s basketball, the Huge Sky made good on its promise of delivering the insanity.

With 9 seconds left, sixth-seeded Montana took a one-point lead over its rival and top-seeded Montana State. Moments after Dani Bartsch swished that 3-pointer on a feed from Mack Konig, Montana State known as a timeout. Seven seconds remained and the Bobcats drew up a SLOB (sideline-out-of-bounds) play.

Marah Dykstra caught the inbounds go and appeared to holding for a handoff, however a teammate by no means obtained free to return over and the play gave the impression to be damaged. With the clock winding down, the 6-foot-2 ahead from Vancouver took issues into her personal palms.

She spun round her defender and drove towards the basket whereas dribbling along with her proper hand and lofted up a shot over two Montana gamers. It missed, bouncing off the backboard and by no means touching the rim.

However Dykstra was nonetheless there within the paint, near the rim. And earlier than the buzzer sounded, she jumped up, caught her miss and pushed it again in direction of the sq. on the backboard in a single movement. Because the clock hit zeroes, the ball was falling by way of the ring and her teammates had been celebrating.

Montana State gained 58-57, successful the Huge Sky Championship and punching its fourth ticket to the NCAA Match — and third in 4 years below coach Tricia Binford. Esmeralda Morales scored 25 factors and Dykstra tallied 10. The Bobcats at the moment are 30-3 on the season, and it doesn’t matter what occurs within the NCAA Match, the crew could have a magical March second it may possibly keep in mind without end.