As both teams lined up at center court inside the Verizon Center, the overall height disparity was clearly in favor of Georgetown, then in first place in the Big East Conference and ranked fourteenth in the nation.
The overall muscle disparity went the Hoyas’ way as well.
Georgetown’s center had two inches on our six-foot-seven pivot man, and he easily swatted the ball to one of his guards, who passed across the court to an attacking power forward, who went all the way in for a resounding slam dunk.
The Davidson players looked flat-footed in comparison to the Georgetown team. Damon was sitting on the bench when Kendall Barnes, the Wildcats’ starting point guard, took the ball.
Barnes was as quick a young man as I’d ever seen. But coming up-court and cutting to his right, he failed to pick up a Hoya defender, who slashed in and fingered the ball out of Barnes’s control.
The Hoya went the length of the court and let go with another thunderous slam dunk that threatened to shatter the backboard.
The people in the Verizon Center crowd went nuts, giving each other high-fives and taunting the Davidson players, who looked dazed. Coach Winston wisely called a time-out to try to calm his team. I twisted in my seat.
Ali said, “This isn’t David versus Goliath, Dad. It’s more like prisoners fighting lions in ancient Rome.”
Jannie punched him lightly on the shoulder. “You know too much.”
Ali shot her a superior look. “I didn’t know that was possible.”
Bree said, “Anyone hungry?”
After getting a manageable order of hot dogs, chips, and sodas, Bree got up and left just before the teams retook the court.
“Damon’s in!” Jannie said.
I looked out and saw she was right. Damon had been subbed in at guard to play opposite Barnes. Coach Winston had also replaced one of the starting forwards for a lanky true freshman from Missouri named Tanner Ott.
Barnes had the ball again. He acted as if he was going to make the same forward charge and cut right. When he feinted that way, the Hoyas bought it and shifted. Barnes flicked the ball behind him to Damon, who was set up in three-point range.
Damon received the ball, set, and sprang into his release.
“Nothing but net!” Jannie screamed before the ball even reached the hoop and swished through.
We were all on our feet cheering as Damon spun in his tracks, pumping his fist.
The Hoyas guard brought the ball up-court and tried to flick it to his center. But Tanner Ott intercepted the pass and drove the length of the court to an easy layup.
“We’re ahead by one!” Jannie cried, leaping to her feet and clapping.
That lead went to four when Damon dropped another three-point bomb, and the Hoyas called their own time-out.
Things got uglier for Davidson after that.
The Hoyas sank five straight field goals and then a three-pointer before Barnes worked to Ott, who drew a foul scoring inside. From then on, it was a real pitched battle.
Coach Winston had taught his Davidson team to use their superior speed to swarm on defense and to stay aggressive enough with their bigger opponents to draw fouls on offense. The Wildcats took a physical beating, but the free-throw shooters and Damon’s third three-pointer kept the score a respectable 43 to 37 at the half.
“I can’t believe the score’s that low,” Ali said.
Jannie said, “I bet Georgetown’s thinking the same thing.”
“Davidson has a good defense, I’ll grant you that,” Nana said between bites of the hot dog Bree had brought her.
“Think they can keep it up?” Bree asked me.
I smiled and shrugged. “I think they can consider it a victory to be only six points behind a nationally ranked team at the half.”
Ali said, “So you’re saying if they lost by twelve points, it would still be a victory?”
“Okay, an achievement,” I said.
“It is an achievement,” Bree said. “I’m impressed by their poise.”
The second half was harder fought than the first. Georgetown came onto the court trying to put Davidson away for good. But through the second half, the Wildcats chipped the Hoyas’ lead to four and then to one when Damon fed to Barnes, who sank from three-point land.
Two of Georgetown’s best players fouled out with just ten minutes left. You could see the concern in the faces of the Hoyas when their coach called time-out. You could feel it in the crowd too.
The Wildcat players looked out of their minds, especially Ott, Barnes, and Damon, who was as pumped up as I’d ever seen him. Winston kept my son in the game and Damon delivered, dropping two more three-pointers, three field goals, and a free throw.
The game was tied with a minute left, and even skeptical Ali and Nana were on their feet cheering wildly for Davidson. The Hoyas scored on their first possession, an easy layup. Then Barnes fed Ott in the paint, and he laid the shot in and drew a foul.
His free throw dropped with twenty-nine seconds left. Down by one, Georgetown called its last time-out.
“I’m going to faint if this goes on much longer,” my grandmother said.
“We’ll hold you up,” Jannie said. She took one of her hands and Ali took the other.
Bree’s cell rang. She answered and listened.
“I’ll be right there,” she said and then hung up.
“You can’t leave now,” I said.
“I have to. Murder in Georgetown five blocks from where Walker was shot.”
“That was hours ago.”
“I’m looking for straws to grasp at.”
“Need company?”
“Can’t; you’re under FBI contract. Michaels would have my head if I let you in. Text me what happens?”
I nodded and kissed her. “Be safe.”
She slipped down the aisle and disappeared before the referee blew his whistle. Georgetown brought the ball out-of-bounds and up-court in three long and precise passes. But the Wildcats’ pesky defense kept them from getting an immediate shot.
When the Hoyas passed a fourth time, Barnes darted forward, intercepted it, and passed to Ott, who slammed the ball through Georgetown’s hoop with eighteen seconds on the clock.
“We’re up by three!” Ali squealed.
Neither team had time-outs left. Georgetown tried to break quickly up-court, but Barnes and Damon kept pressing the Hoyas.
When they tried to come inside with a lob pass to their center, Ott sprang and batted the ball. The Hoyas’ guard snatched it up before Ott could steal, however, and passed it to Georgetown’s best outside shooter.
He set to release, and I thought for sure we were heading into overtime. But Damon came leaping laterally and windmilling his right hand.
After the shot, my son’s fingers brushed the ball just enough that it caromed off the rim and into Barnes’s able hands. He dribbled away from the Hoyas chasing and trying to foul him.
He was just too quick. The buzzer went off, and the Wildcats went crazy.
“Upset of the year!” Jannie cried, and we all cheered as if Damon and Davidson College had made the Final Four.