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Stunning full-court shot sends Norris to semifinals of Nebraska state tournament

hunterby:Hunter Shelton•03/13/25•

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Syndication: Florida Times-Union
Basketballs rest beside the court before a high school girls basketball game in Jacksonville, Florida, between Bishop Kenny and Oakleaf on January 19, 2023. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union] 011923 Stock Basketball

Norris High defeated Lincoln Pius X on Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the Nebraska Class B NSAA state tournament thanks to a must-see shot from Norris senior guard Barret Boesiger.

With the game tied at 49 and just 3.2 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Pius tried a long inbound pass that resulted in a turnover. Boesiger collected the ball, took two dribbles, two steps and heaved from the opposite 3-point line.

Pinnacle Bank Arena was silent as the ball began its downward trajectory, but proceeded to explode as Boesiger swished the shot that every player dreams about, sending Norris to the semifinals and keeping its state title hopes alive with a 52-49 win:

“It’s so surreal, I feel so numb right now, I don’t even know,” Boesiger told reporters. “I just let it fly, I knew my moment was gonna come, I just had to stay composed because they were trying to take me out. I just caught it, I thought we were going to overtime, but I let it fly and it just went in.”

Despite being Norris’ top option offensively all season, Boesiger had taken just one shot prior to his unbelievable game-winner. Norris, now 25-2 this season, is the top seed in its bracket and survived what would’ve been a major upset from Pius (14-11). The two teams played on Feb. 28 as Norris cruised to a 76-33 win.

The Titans will now play the winner of Skutt Catholic and Douglas County West on Friday night. Skutt Catholic is one of the two teams who have defeated Norris this season.

Norris ranks as the No. 5 team in the state of Nebraska and No. 197 team nationally, according to the On3 Composite Rankings. Boesiger’s heroics have the Titans still fighting for a state title.

The On3 Composite High School Basketball Team Rankings is a proprietary algorithm that compiles rankings listed in the public domain by respected High School media and data companies. It includes Massey, Max Preps, ESPN, and SI, creating the industry’s most comprehensive and geographically balanced High School Team Ranking.