SYLACAUGA, Ala. – Sometimes recreation league basketball games featuring elementary athletes feature minimum excitement, but that was not the case in a recent rec league game in the city of Sylacauga. On Thursday night, Jan. 11, there was no shortage of entertainment.
With five seconds left in the first half and trailing by one point, 8-year-old Tripp Rivers, a second grade student at Indian Valley Elementary School, decided his team would not be trailing during intermission. Rivers took an inbound pass up to half-court and launched a deep three-point shot as the buzzer sounded. The 8-year-old star drained the shot.
“I didn’t think the shot was going in,” said Tripp. “It looked like I missed it.” The video below, however, shows the shot was never in doubt.
Tripp’s father, Gary, coaches the team and said he was screaming for his son to shoot the ball as time expired. He explained his team was down eight points early prior cutting the deficit to one before Tripp’s shot. “It was super,” said Gary Rivers. “The shot gave the team the momentum. I would have been excited to see any of the kids make a half-court shot, but its special when your own son does that.”
Although the half-court shot was exciting, it had an even greater impact as the team went on to win by three, 15-12. Tripp scored nine of his teams points.
SylacaugaNews.com asked Tripp if he has any experience shooting the deep shot, he jokingly responded, “The coaches don’t let me shoot that shot. They’re afraid I might hit someone in the head.” He said he doesn’t plan to shoot it again unless its necessary.
Tripp is not getting arrogant after making the shot, explaining he still believes the best part of his game is on defense.
Maybe even more impressive, Tripp’s 9-year-old sister, Carleigh Mae, filmed the shot steadily and missed none of the excitement.
