Incredible Half Court Buzz Beater Catapults STM Boys Basketball Into State Tournament

The St. Thomas More Cougars boys' basketball team made their fans sweat last night in the quarterfinals of the LHSAA State Basketball Tournament, but they pulled out a dramatic win with a most improbable shot.

With the game tied at 50 apiece against No. 11-seeded Huntington at home, the No. 3-seeded Cougars hit a halfcourt shot as time expired to lift the team to a 53-50 win in the Division I Select quarterfinals.

Get our free mobile app

There were 4.6 seconds left on the clock after Huntington made a free throw to tie things up. STM inbounded the ball and passed it to Xarian Babineaux, who dribbled up the court, took a few steps, and heaved a shot just to the side of the "T" in the STM logo at halfcourt.

It looked a little something like this...

Side Note: In 2022, during my son's senior year at Teurlings Catholic, the team played in the Sunkist Shootout at STM. I was picked from the crowd for one of those halftime shooting contests. I drained a halfcourt shot at that exact spot to win a cool $50. Clearly, it wasn't as important as Xarian Babineaux's halfcourt shot, but it's a story I will tell my grandkids one day. 😆

If you watch a lot of college and pro basketball, you would think this happens all the time. But you really don't see this every day in high school basketball, folks.

Just consider what STM Cougars head basketball Coach Danny Broussard said after the game.

I've been doing this for 43 years, I've never had a halfcourt shot to win a game.

With the win, the Cougars (31-5) will move on to the Marsh Madness state basketball tournament in Lake Charles for the 10th consecutive year.

READ MORE: Louisiana Brides Should Avoid Getting Married on This Date

Last season, STM finished as the state runner-up in Select Division I.

The Cougars will play No. 7-seeded John Curtis Christian on Thursday, March 13 at 1:00 pm at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.

The winner of that game will play the winner of No. 4-seeded St. Augustine and No. 1-seeded Liberty. The Championship Game will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, March 15.