What makes college basketball one of the most entertaining sports to watch is just how often we’re gifted with some truly special moments to end games. Though it isn’t time for March Madness yet, we’ve already gotten some November madness early in the season.
Today’s fantastic finish belongs to the UMass Minutemen, who stole a win from the Murray State Racers during the semifinals of the Myrtle Beach Invitational.
Trailing 69-68 with seven seconds to play, Minutemen guard Noah Fernandes dribbled the length of the court and hoisted a step-back 3-pointer from the right wing to beat the buzzer and hand the Racers a crushing loss.
🚨 WHAT A LAST-SECOND GAME-WINNER 🚨 pic.twitter.com/5piTkqwYrr
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 18, 2022
HE'S HIM.@noahfernandes_ | #Flagship 🚩 pic.twitter.com/JMenpgDDcf
— UMass Men's Basketball (@UMassMBB) November 18, 2022
But the buzzer-beating shot from Fernandes did more than just win or lose a game for the two teams who took the court, it impacted those wagered on the game.
Murray State opened at +1.5, meaning if the shot had missed or even been ruled a 2-pointer rather than a three, the Racees would’ve covered. But they closed a point higher (+2.5) than they opened, so the two-point defeat they suffered on Friday meant those who bet on the latter line are still coming away with money.
Fortunately, the vast majority of the betting public was pulling for UMass. According to Action Network, 52 percent of all bets and 57 percent of the money wagered was on UMass (-1.5). Another 48 percent of moneyline bettors grabbed UMass (-125) with 88 percent of the money wagered on the Minutemen to win outright.
A horrible beat for those who took Murray State and an incredible hit for everyone who didn’t.
(Featured Image via UMass Athletics)
