SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Ben Woodside has won his share of games in his four years of North Dakota State basketball. But never has the 5-foot-11 senior point guard made a last-second, game-winning shot.
He saved that for perhaps the most important win in Bison basketball history -- sinking a 17-foot jump shot with four seconds remaining to give NDSU a 66-64 Summit League championship win Monday night over Oakland University.
The shot heard around the Dakotas sends the Bison -- in their first year of Division I playoff eligibility -- to the NCAA Tournament.
"There have been a number of times I have had the ball in my hands at the end and it didn't go down," Woodside said. "I kept telling myself I'm going to knock one down sometime."
Jokingly, Bison head coach Saul Phillips has given Woodside grief about missing game-winning shots.
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There was his sophomore year when Woodside, bumped by a Kansas State player, saw his 3-pointer fall short at the buzzer in an 83-81 loss before a packed Bison Sports Arena.
There was his junior year when Woodside missed a long jumper in a 73-71 loss at Oakland. And there was the 69-67 home loss to Indiana Purdue-Indianapolis in which Woodside missed two 3-pointers in the final 35 seconds.
Earlier this year when he scored an amazing 60 points, Woodside missed an offbalanced jumper that would've won the game at the end of regulation. The Bison lost to Stephen F. Austin in three overtimes.
Then when NDSU lost 77-76 at Oakland on Jan. 2, Woodside drove the length of the court but missed a high-banking layup in traffic. The ball hung on the rim before falling out. Even Oakland head coach Greg Kampe thought, at the time, that the ball was going to fall in.
"He may have missed that one at Oakland, but I will take this one any day," Phillips said. "I'll put Woody in that open court situation anytime."
And that's just what Phillips let Woodside do Tuesday night before 3,804 fans in the Sioux Falls Arena.
After Oakland's Keith Benson tied the score with a slam dunk with 11 seconds remaining, Woodside took the inbounds pass and streaked downcourt.
"We have always talked about not calling timeout in that type of situation and going with the flow," Woodside said. "It gives us a chance to get in transition and get a good look."
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That's what happened when Woodside dribbled off a Lucas Moormann screen on top of the key.
"I knew he had enough time," said teammate Mike Nelson.
As he dribbled off the screen, Woodside said he saw the 6-foot-11 Benson leave Moormann to help on defense.
"But he laid off me just enough so I was able to get the shot off," Woodside said.
Moormann said by the time he turned around to look, Woodside had already let the shot go. Teammate Brett Winkelman said he knew it was going in as soon as Woodside let it go.
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