Revisiting 'The Shot' From Ole Miss vs. Valparaiso in the 1998 NCAA Tournament
OXFORD, Miss. -- When the Ole Miss Rebels host the Valparaiso Crusaders for a game of hoops this Saturday in the SJB Pavilion, it will be the first time the two programs have met on the court in over 20 years.
The Rebels and Crusaders last played on March 13, 1998, in Oklahoma City for Round 1 of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Ole Miss was the heavily favored 4-seed, while the Valpos were the 13-seed underdogs from the Mid-Continent Conference.
The Crusaders surprised the Rebels, however, and ended up beating Ole Miss 70-69 thanks to a clutch three-pointer from Valparaiso guard Bryce Drew. The victory over Ole Miss kicked off Valparaiso's Cinderella run which ended in the Sweet Sixteen.
The play, monikered 'The Shot', has been immortalized as one of the greatest moments in NCAA Tournament history and is always shown on TV whenever March Madness comes around. The Rebels are of course, on the losing side of history.
The Valpos were down 69-67 with less than 10 seconds in the game and were forced to foul Ole Miss forward Ansu Sesay in order to stop the clock. Sesay, an adept 74 percent free-throw shooter, was sent to the line to take two shots and had the chance to put seal the game for Ole Miss.
Sesay missed both his shots and former Ole Miss guard Keith Carter, the current Athletic Director for Ole Miss, tipped the ball out of bounds giving the Crusaders time for one more play.
The Crusaders' inbound pass was hurled over the midcourt line where the ball was eventually tipped to an open Drew, who proceeded to let fly a 23-foot three-pointer that went in as time expired and the Valpos were victorious.
It is a moment that most people would consider a feel-good March Madness story, but not if you are an Ole Miss fan.
The Rebels will get their chance at revenge this Saturday when the Valpos come to Oxford for a rematch. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. CT in the SJB Pavilion and the game will be televised on SEC Network.
You can follow Ben King on Twitter at @BKing_2023.
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