Rich Taylor had been off-target all day, yet there he was, with the ball in his hands, the clock winding down and the game on line.
Reluctantly, he took the shot and surprised himself and just about everyone else by hitting a 3-pointer with five seconds left in overtime.Taylor's only basket of the day capped San Jose State's longshot run with a 76-75 win over Utah State on Sunday to win the Big West tournament championship and an NCAA berth.
The sixth-seeded Spartans became the lowest-seed ever to win the Big West tournament. Previously, no team seeded lower than fourth had won the 21-year-old event.
"It was one of my worst games of the season," said Taylor, who looked to work the ball to high-scoring teammate Olivier Saint-Jean before putting it up.
"The ball was supposed to go to Olivier. They sagged back on me. I shot it. It's an unbelievable feeling. You practice in the back yard growing up, `3-2-1.' For me, I never made it. It's a dream come true."
Taylor missed all four previous shots before draining the game-winner that sent San Jose to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1980, when the Spartans won their only other Big West title game.
He thrust his arms up and an instant later was mobbed by teammates and fans who streamed onto the court.
"It's a wonderful moment," San Jose State coach Stan Morrison said. "To the day he dies, he will never forget it. No one can ever buy this."
Utah State's Silas Mills tried a desperation shot as time expired and the ball bounced off the rim. Mills said the Aggies were left numb by Taylor's shot.
"I was shocked when he made it," Mills said. "We were stunned."
Said Utah State coach Larry Eustachy: "It was a devastating situation at the end. Saint-Jean is so good, we had to zone. He's a pro. We wanted the other people to beat us and Taylor beat us. It's a tough one to swallow.
The Spartans (13-16) were 4-15 at one time, but have won nine of their last 10. They join Central Florida as the only teams in the NCAA tournament with losing records.
Saint-Jean, named tournament MVP, led San Jose State with 27 points, all scored after halftime. He sat out most of the first half after picking up two fouls in the first two minutes. Tito Addison added 11 points.
Mills had 23 points for Utah State (18-15). Eric Franson added 16 and Justin Jones had 11, including two free throws with four seconds left in regulation to force the overtime.
Jones also had a 3-pointer with 1:46 left in overtime to give Utah State a 72-71 lead. Saint-Jean answered with a turnaround jumper and then Franson had a go-ahead layup for the Aggies.
Taylor missed his fourth shot from the field and then fouled Duane Rogers going for a loose ball. Rogers made one of two free throws for a 75-73 lead with 26 seconds remaining.
San Jose State worked the ball around, trying to get it to Saint-Jean, but Taylor was the only one free. During the regular season, Taylor tried just two 3-pointers and made one.
The game marked San Jose State's Big West farewell. Next year, the school will play in the Western Athletic Conference.