Thanks, ref

"Towson guard C.C. Williams (no.1) fights hard against Georgia State defenders to put up a layup during the first half at the Towson Center Wednesday night. Williams scored the game-winning shot with three seconds remaining in regulation and finished with 12 points in the 58-57 victory."

Wow. The effects of one human can sometimes put a damper on your night.

Although missing the game winning shot due to a ref, a brief reaction of the men's basketball team was enough to satisfy me for the night. And go figure, on a night I shot basketball in a different manner in which I normally do with hopes of getting something different ran in print.

After shooting a full day of assignments, I made my way over to the Towson Center to cover the men's basketball team versus visiting Georgia State.

I wasn't too excited to shoot another basketball game, as my bottom end has started to get sore from covering basketball games one after another. So I decided to bring the 300mm along and shoot 90 percent of my images from the balcony and seats.

Satisfied with my different images from my not normal positions at half, I thought about leaving. But instead I continued shooting from anywhere but the floor of the court. Makes me wish Towson had catwalks.

With less than five minutes left, I made my way courtside as the game grew very close. Towson was down, but rallying back in the game with about 30 seconds left.

After what seemed like a 20 minute duration of timeouts, Towson, now down by one, put up a shot with 19 seconds left. It was short, but they got the rebound and took another timeout. My reaction? Disappointed, because I had a clear, peak action image of the game-winning shot had it gone in and Towson won. Scratch that image.

Towson walked back on the court and I quickly switched to my 70-200mm lens. I felt a buzzer beater, game-winning basket. As I followed the ball closely, I focused and I framed the shot. Towson guard C.C. Williams drove and put up the shot. Click, click, click, click, click, click.

It goes in and Towson is up by one with three seconds left. The crowd goes wild. I quickly chimp (aka look to the back LCD) to check my images and the ref had impeccably walked in front of my shot of Williams firing the winner. Enter expletive here. All I had was the drive, which was blocked by defenders and his shot, which was blocked by the ref.

But after the basket went in, I had scanned the court for some sort of jubilation.

I caught Towson forward Junior Hairston screaming and running around like a wild-man as Georgia State took a time out. Some may say it's a nice shot, but I said another expletive because it's a little too tight for me, cutting off his hands. But it’s the best I could do at 70mm.

I moved a total of five images, including the two mentioned, as hopefully the main art. I am not sure what will run, but I had some other images I liked better, however they didn't tell the story.

I am hoping the above image runs lead, as it is what I would have turned in if I left at half and found out Williams scored the game winner.