When Cincinnati's Kevin Johnson drained a tie-breaking 3-pointer with less than a second remaining in triple overtime on Friday, UConn's Jalen Adams momentarily hung his head in dismay.
Even the future Huskies hero appeared to momentarily think the game was over.
To his credit, Adams collected himself, caught the ensuing inbound pass with eight tenths of a second left and sank maybe the most unbelievable shot of the season. The freshman guard banked in a game-tying three-quarters-court shot to the disbelief of everyone on the floor, sending him leaping into the air pumping his fist and inspiring the UConn bench to flood onto the court to mob him.
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The incredible shot would have been bittersweet for UConn had it come in a loss, but the Huskies managed to complete the fairytale story. They took the lead for good on a pair of Sterling Gibbs free throws with three minutes left in the fourth overtime en route to a memorable 104-97 victory in the second of four American Athletic Conference quarterfinals.
What made Adams' shot all the more remarkable was the circumstances under which he hit it. It was a true season saver for a UConn team that likely would have been NIT-bound had it lost to Cincinnati on Friday.
At 22-10 overall and 11-7 in league play, UConn still projects right around the NCAA tournament cut line. Quality wins against Texas and SMU help the Huskies' cause, as does a top 30 KenPom ranking, a lack of losses against sub-100 foes and a victory over fellow bubble team Michigan. Nonetheless, UConn is just 55th in the RPI because of its 9-10 record against teams in the top 150.
The NCAA tournament ramifications weighed heavily on the UConn players as they rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit and took a seven-point lead in the final four minutes only to blow that. Cincinnati's Troy Caupain capped a 7-0 Cincinnati spurt with a pair of free throws in the final minute and both teams missed potential game-winning shots during a frantic finish to regulation.
Neither team built a lead of more than four points in the first three overtimes as both the Huskies and Bearcats answered one another big shot for big shot. When Caupain put Cincinnati ahead with a jump shot late in double overtime, Adams answered with a deft driving layup to force the third extra session.
Daniel Hamilton led UConn with 32 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, but it was Adams whose contributions were most memorable. Nineteen of the highly touted freshman combo guard's 22 points came in overtime including the impossible 60-foot heave.
While UConn celebrates new life and tries to muster enough energy for Saturday's semifinal against Temple, Cincinnati heads home for an excruciating 48-hour wait until Selection Sunday. The Bearcats were in better position than the Huskies entering play on Friday, but their spot in the NCAA tournament is by no means a guarantee.
When Johnson hit his last-second 3-pointer, it appeared Cincinnati had the win it needed to lock up a bid, but we know better now.
Never count out Jalen Adams even when his body language suggests even he has temporarily given up hope.
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