Oluokun's Buzzer Beater Sends Burroughs To District Finals

Editors note: After the game was finished, Foye Oluokun was awarded a three point game winning shot. That changed the score to 33-20 and 11 points for the half.

If ever there was one athlete you’d want the ball to be in the hand of at the end of a game, at John Burroughs, clearly, that would be Foye Oluokun, junior guard.

The same goes for football as goes for basketball. With 17 seconds to go in the semifinals of the Class 3, District 6 game with Orchard Farm at Whitfield, the game was tied 30-30. The Bombers cleared a path for Oluokun who dribbled away the balance of the clock. With absolutely no time left on the clock, the junior guard let fly with a jumper and he cleanly found the bottom of the net, and Burroughs escaped the Eagles with a two-point victory.

They face the winner of the late game, either Lutheran North or the host Whitfield team.

“We were there before. We had the very same situation against Lutheran South (February 27),” said Oluokun as the Bombers won that game at the buzzer 60-58.

Oluokun claimed they were able to capitalize on that game-winning experience.

“A win’s a win, whether you win it by one or by a 100, and it doesn’t matter how you won,” said Bombers coach Steve Wilcut.

Winning was an improbable opportunity. Burroughs scored just 11 second half points, but Orchard Farm scored just 13.

“They (Orchard Farm) likes to play that throw it inside, kick it out game,”  said Oluokun and on this night, it just didn’t work. Burroughs defenders sealed off the interior like it was a locked room. Eagle three point shooters missed long range three point attempts, one after another.

With 21.1 seconds left in the game, Orchard Farm had its chance. Neal Lyon barged inside for a layup and tied the game at 30-30. However, he failed to convert the go-ahead free throw.

Eagles coach Dune Stuermann handled the loss well.

“We had our chance, we just didn’t get it done this time, but I’m extremely proud of our kids. I know we play that style of play where its slow all night long. If we were playing Burroughs in kick ball, people would probably chose four or five of their players first.”

We graduated five seniors, and we were still able to show people out there our kids can play every night,” said the coach.

The Eagles finished up the year 18-9.

Burroughs reaches the championship game with a 20-5 mark.

Ezekiel Elliott was the only player on the floor to reach double figures with 10 points. Oluokun had 9. Nick Rose and Beau Beeson each had 9 for Orchard Farm.

But at the end, Burroughs had two more than Orchard Farm, and that’s all that matters.