Canadian secures MVP in NY High School Boys Tournament with 3 pointer and less than 2 seconds to go

Photo credit: Pat Orr Photography | Long Island Lutheran's Anthony Pate goes up for the game winning shot. (March 24, 2012)

Updated with video of the winning shot- after the story break

With stories from AP and Newsday – Anthony Pate, who hails from Oakville, Ontario, salvaged the fourth quarter for Long Island Lutherans with a beat-the-clock 3-point shot to beat Harborfield Crusaders 62-61 in Albany NY Saturday, reported the Wall Street Journal.

Pate was named tournament MVP for his game saving 3 point clutch with 1.1 seconds left in the game.

“We actually talked about what would happen if I had the ball at the end of the game,” the Lutheran shooting guard told Newsday of a pregame chat with teammates. “I told them I’d make it. Wow. That’s a little foreshadowing.”

The Lutherans salvaged their second straight title in the Class A final of the New York State Boys Basketball Federation Tournament of Champions. 

The Crusaders had an 11 point lead going into the 4th quarter, with Ryan Denicola scoring 12 points for the Crusaders. But Lutherans fought back almost tying the game.

The high drama of the game with only 1.1 seconds to go on the clock was something Pate had in mind before the game.

Anthony Pate recovers and shoots from the corner to score a 3 pointer and win the tournament and MVP title

“Catch it. Make sure to get it up in the air. Keep the form,” the left-handed Pate said of his mind-set when he took a pass from K.J. Lee, who kicked it to the player with the hot hand. “When I let it go, I did think it was going in. I don’t know what I’m thinking right now. I’m just happy.” (Newsday)

Pate came off the bench to score 18 points helping his team take the championship and earning him

Newsday dubbed him “the great Pate” “But it wasn’t too late for the great Pate. ‘When he made the shot,’ Lee said, ‘I was going crazy in my head.'” Newsday

Pate who hadn’t started the game was in player coach John Buck’s mind as the game closer. When Pate aced the difficult shot from the left corner Buck told Newsday, “It barely touched net. It was bottoms. It’s the most clutch shot I’ve ever seen. I’m so proud of him. He’s from a different country. He didn’t play much at the beginning of the season. He didn’t start this game.”

With stories from Newsday and AP. Photo credit Pat Orr Photography