Intentionally missed free throw sets up a game-winning 3-pointer

University of Rochester guard Sam Borst-Smith is a 76.6 percent free throw shooter, but it's the 6-foot-2 junior's skill at missing foul shots that's receiving national attention.

Borst-Smith intentionally missed a free throw so adroitly late in his team's 77-76 victory over the University of Chicago that it perfectly set up a game-winning shot.

With Rochester trailing by three on Saturday, Chicago fouled Borst-Smith intentionally with 2.7 seconds left so that the Yellowjackets would not be able to attempt a game-tying 3-pointer. Borst-Smith made the first free throw but fired the second free throw hard at the front rim in such a way that the ball came directly back to him.

Borst-Smith grabbed the rebound and kicked to a wide-open teammate in the left corner. Mack Montague buried the game-winning 3-pointer as time expired, giving Rochester an unlikely 77-76 victory that has since garnered plenty of attention for the small Division III program.

Video of the shot spread quickly on social media over the weekend and hit ESPN's SportsCenter on Monday morning. Rochester coach Luke Flockerzi told the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle on Monday that the play isn't something his team practices.

"I don’t know if anyone quite expected that to happen, but we were certainly going to try," Flockerzi said. "You don’t ever really practice missing it.

"I don’t think he could do it again if he tried."

The play was important for Rochester for more reasons than just the attention it has brought the school. Saturday's victory kept the Yellowjackets (14-6, 7-2) one game behind Emory University in the University Athletic Association race.

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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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