The exploits of the Barton College basketball team again grabbed headlines on numerous fronts during year-end wrap-ups on television and in print this past week.
Barton stunned defending national champ Winona State (MN) last March in the NCAA D-II title game, rallying from 74-67 deficit in the final 40 seconds to a 77-75 victory. All-America point guard Anthony Atkinson scored Barton’s final 10 points as the Bulldogs claimed their first NCAA championship and ended top-ranked Winona State’s 57-game win streak.
The crazy finish, which culminated with Atkinson’s buzzer-beating layup after a Bobby Buffaloe steal was a highlight reel for everything from local stations to ESPN and CNN. The image of an ecstatic Atkinson being chased down the floor by his teammates will forever be etched in the minds of those present in Springfield, MA, and those fans watching the game on television.
The finish, which earned an ESPY nomination, was featured this week as the No. 11 Play of the Year on Fox Sport’s “The Best Damn Sports Show Period” in its countdown of the top 50. ESPN featured it as one of the most memorable plays of the year and WRAL-TV in Raleigh, N.C., used the dramatic ending as its highlight of not only the most memorable sports plays of 2007 but as its top news story of the past 12 months.
The Wilson Daily Times named Barton’s National Championship as the No. 1 sports story of the year and Anthony Atkinson was listed as the No. 2 sports story. Not only did Atkinson’s exploits lead to numerous personal honors, including Elite Eight MVP, and a national championship for his hometown school, it made him the top draft pick of the Harlem Globetrotters, with whom he is currently touring.
Barton’s Director of Athletics Gary Hall also made the Daily Times’ top 10. After 18 years at the helm, he retired from coaching men’s soccer at Barton after this year and will be inducted into the N.C. Soccer Hall of Fame on Jan. 26.
