Team manager from Fort Worth hits buzzer-beating 3-pointer for college basketball team
You give the fans what they want.
And Tuesday night in New Orleans, students cheering on Loyola University’s men’s basketball team against Blue Mountain College, were chanting for Sam Ater.
Ater, a junior who played basketball at Nolan Catholic in Fort Worth, is the Wolfpack’s student manager. He’s also a musician and singer who sings the national anthem before each home game.
A few weeks ago, Ater suggested to head coach Stacy Hollowell that he’d love to get on the floor in a game.
“I just thought it was a fantastic idea and he planted that seed,” said Hollowell, whose team is ranked No. 2 in NAIA. “We did the things behind the scenes that we needed to do to get him eligible and [Tuesday] night we had an opportunity to put him in the game.”
With Loyola holding a massive lead late in the game, the crowd started chanting “We want Ater!”
Not only did Ater get on the floor, he made a 3-pointer at the buzzer in Loyola’s 100-58 win.
“It was unbelievable,” Hollowell told WNGO-TV in New Orleans. “So special for the whole team.”
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 5:19 PM.
