It was a beautiful shot – high, arcing, with most of the home-side fans looking over his shoulder. Lane Harkin’s 3-pointer passed through the basket just before time expired to give the Quitman Bulldogs a 47-44 win over the visiting Eustace Bulldogs. 

As far as last-second, game-winning shots, it was about as good as it gets.  

Quitman held the ball for the last 40 seconds, and the tension rose with every tick of the clock. Most fans probably figured that Bryson Hobbs would get the ball at his high post position. He had been close to unstoppable from the high post all night. 

Others likely figured that Clayton Meadows would step up at the top of the key for the final attempt.

With seven seconds to play, the ball was swung to the left wing (it didn’t go inside to Hobbs), then back to the top of the key and finally to Harkin on the right wing. Harkin never hesitated. He stepped up and let it fly. 

As the ball passed perfectly through the hoop and the net danced in that signature way, there were less than two seconds on the clock. In the wild roar which enveloped the gym, any attempt by Eustace to call for a time-out were drowned out. 

The Quitman basketball program probably needed that shot, that win. It is the kind of thing which can help shape a program and will certainly be a lifetime memory for the team.

It wasn’t easy. Eustace began the game with a hot shooting hand and won the early turn-over battles. At the end of one quarter the visitors led by 11 points, and at the half they were up by 9.

Eustace ran a 2-2-1 zone defense most of the game and inexplicably failed to deny the ball into Hobbs at his high post position. Hobbs led all scorers with 16 points, with most of those points coming from turnaround jump shots from the lane. 

Complementing Hobbs was the consistent outside shooting of Logan Davis, the baseline work of Harkins and the timely production of Klayton Meadows.

In the third quarter Quitman closed the score, and they took their first lead of the game with 6:34 remaining in the final quarter. The Eustace shooting hand had gone cold, and their three missed lay-ups sustained Quitman’s comeback.

The home side maintained their composure down the stretch and brought home a memorable win. 

After a match-up with Grand Saline Tuesday and bye Friday, the Bulldogs conclude their 2025 campaign Tuesday, Feb. 11 as they host Edgewood.