Jordan Price’s game-tying half-court heave goes to waste in OT loss
The most dramatic shot of Jordan Price’s career also is probably one of the most bittersweet.
His running half-court heave at the buzzer sent La Salle’s game against American to overtime Tuesday night, but the Explorers failed to take advantage and fell at home to the Eagles 68-66.
La Salle trailed by three points with 4.4 seconds to go when 90 percent free throw shooter Pee Wee Gardner missed his second foul shot to preserve hope of an Explorers comeback. Price then corralled the rebound, took four dribbles to shake free of Gardner and launched a shot from the mid-court circle that improbably found the bottom of the net.
While Price raised his arms and pointed to the crowd in celebration of completing La Salle’s comeback from a 13-point halftime deficit, the Explorers did not finish the job. Price got trapped coming around a screen and committed a key turnover with La Salle down three late in overtime, enabling American to secure a win in a game in which four of its five starters logged all 45 minutes.
La Salle, two years removed from a Sweet 16 run, is off to a 5-5 start this season and has now lost five of its last six games. American, the preseason favorite in the Patriot League, is off to a 6-4 start with three road victories.
Price, a sophomore guard from Decatur, Ga., finished with a game-high 26 points Tuesday night on 7 of 13 shooting from the field and 9 of 10 shooting from the foul line.
It was a remarkable day for Price in every respect except one: His performance didn’t produce a La Salle victory.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
