A different Hickory High wins state tournament game on wild buzzer-beater

Hickory High earned another improbable basketball win. Only this one was real. And not in Indiana.

Still, Nikki Arbanas, a Youngstown State girls' basketball recruit attending the Hermitage, Pa., high school that bears the same name as the fictional program in "Hoosiers," got her Jimmy Chitwood moment.

Now, we don't know if Arbanas told Hickory coach Jeanette Whitehead, "I'll make it," but the senior did just that with her team trailing by two in overtime. Arbanas corraled a cross-court inbounds pass and unleashed a 3-pointer that delivered a 55-54 victory against defending state champion South Park (Pa.).

We'd say she essentially killed Kenny, but we're probably better off sticking with one pop culture metaphor. Arbanas finished with 23 points in the victory, helping her unbeaten Hornets (not Hoosiers) reach the quarterfinals, according to WKBN-TV. Unfortunately, Arbanas fouled out and was unavailable to attempt a game-tying shot in a 48-45 loss to Beaver Falls (Pa.) Blackhawk in the next round.

In other words, she was stuck watching the paint dry, and this Hickory High didn't have an Ollie McLellan.

(h/t Bob's Blitz)