Indiana cheerleader lifted over backboard to retrieve stuck ball | NCAA Tournament
Just over a minute and a half into the Indiana-St. Mary's game the basketball was stuck on top of the backboard, and an unlikely hero came to the rescue.
Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear pompoms.
Hoosiers have a new hero
There are loads of heroes that will come out of this NCAA Tournament and go straight into the story books of their universities. Tonight the hero in the Indiana vs. Saint Mary’s game came from an unlikely source.
There was still 18:25 left in the second half and Indana was trailing 45-29, but the play of the night brought a collective roar from fans wearing Hoosier Red and St. Mary’s white.
The basketball was deflected up and over the backboard and got trapped between the backboard and the shot clock.
St. Mary's hold off comeback bid after big play
While players and referees looked to climb up a chair and use a floor mop to knock it out, in came the Hoosiers pep squad to give the game a boost. One of the cheelearders hosited his teammate above his head, and the other grabbed the ball with a casual elegance while the entire stadium at Moda Center in Portland Oregon erupted.
Unfortunately for the cheerleaders’ efforts weren’t enough to lift the Hoosier spirits the rest of the second half. St. Mary’s went on to thump the Hoosiers 82-53.