On February 9, 2024, Boys Basketball would win what would be a nail-biter Quaker Cup final in the Berman against the Shipley Gators. The Roos had a great win against Barrack that Tuesday with a score of 80-53, which would secure their spot in the Quaker Cup final.
Back and forth, neck and neck, this game was tied coming down to the final seconds. With under a minute left and a tied game in regulation, the Roos would have possession with only a few seconds left when Zamir Parker-Barnes ‘25 stole the ball back from Shipley.
With two seconds left, Parker-Barnes went up for a dunk, slamming it right when the buzzer sounded and referee whistles went off. The gym went silent with uncertainty as to whether the Roos could declare victory or if this game would be going into overtime, wondering if the shot wasn’t put up in time.
Both teams benches stood up awaiting the referees’ call before finding out that Parker-Barnes was fouled on his way up for the dunk. He would get two foul shots with just 0.5 seconds left.
Parker-Barnes made the first free throw giving the Roos a 57-56 lead seemingly securing the win. Parker-Barnes purposely missed the second shot, and Shipley received the ball with only 0.5 seconds left to try and score.
Shipley had the ball at their end of the court and chucked the ball down hoping a miracle could happen. However, Nathan Osborne ‘24 secured the win by clamping down on defense, guarding the Shipley player that the ball was being thrown to and tapping it away, finally hearing the buzzer go off.
This would be the memorable moment when the Roos would secure their 2024 Quaker Cup Championship.
Storming the court, players on the AFS bench hugged and celebrated a hard-fought win.
The Quaker Cup is a competitive tournament, and this win was not an easy one. Playing together is one of the key things that makes athletics at AFS special, and is what made this win so special.
The boys’ basketball season is not over yet. The Roos are competing in the PAISAA Commonwealth Cup in mid-February. On Wednesday, AFS will host Solebury School in the Berman at 4:30pm.
Congratulate the team on an impressive season and remember, it is a great day to be Roo!
