Kyle Hughes, a senior at University of Buffalo, stepped up to the center of the hardwood, basketball in hand. Halfcourt shot attempts with incentivizing rewards such as tuition or thousands of dollars are a staple at college basketball games. But on February 27 at Alumni Arena, just 12 medium pizzas from Santora’s — a local wing and pizza joint in Buffalo — were at stake.
The prize didn’t matter to Hughes. In his final home game at Buffalo, he trotted up to the halfcourt line, heaved the ball toward the cylinder, and watched the ball position itself perfectly in the fibers of the net.