Lamont Butler didn’t just make San Diego State history Saturday night. He might well have made NCAA Tournament history.
Butler’s game-winning, 18-foot jump shot against Florida Atlantic appears to be the first of its kind in a Final Four game. It was a true buzzer beater—one that passed through the net during or after the final horn—and it carried with it win-or-lose stakes. If the shot goes in, the Aztecs survive and advance; if the shot misses, FAU wins and San Diego State’s season is over.
That combination of factors is surprisingly non-existent in the history of March Madness, according to sports-reference.com. Butler’s shot appears to be the sixth true buzzer beater in men’s Final Four history, but the first of its kind.
