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Edney Buzzer-Beater Gives New Rochelle Boys Basketball Title

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – New Rochelle's Khalil Edney had to wait a few moments before his improbable buzzer-beater against arch-rival Mount Vernon made the basketball senior a star.

New Rochelle celebrates with its fans after Khalil Edney's buzzer-beater gives the Huguenots the Section 1 Class AA Boys Basketball title. New Rochelle beat archrival Mount Vernon, 61-60.

Photo Credit: Tony Pinciaro
Khalil Edney made a 60-foot shot at the buzzer lifting New Rochelle basketball to a 61-60 win over Mount Vernon in the Section 1 Class AA Boys Basketball Championship game Sunday.

Khalil Edney made a 60-foot shot at the buzzer lifting New Rochelle basketball to a 61-60 win over Mount Vernon in the Section 1 Class AA Boys Basketball Championship game Sunday.

Photo Credit: Tony Pinciaro

Joe Clarke discusses New Rochelle's miraculous 61-60 win over Mount Vernon in the Section 1 Class AA Boys Basketball Championship game Sunday.

Photo Credit: Tony Pinciaro

The referees originally ruled the shot came after the buzzer. But following a brief discussion, Edney’s shot was ruled valid, making the basket the game winner and a video that quickly went viral.

The game-winning shot was the lead story on the 8 p.m. ESPN SportsCenter Sunday.

This gave No. 9 New Rochelle a miraculous 61-60 win over the No. 3 seed and seven-time defending champions Sunday at the Westchester County Center.

New Rochelle advances to a state regional semifinal at 4 p.m. Tuesday against Section 4 titlist Binghamton. The Huguenots have now won the Section 1 Class AA football and basketball titles this school year.

“We ran the play where we get the ball to halfcourt, but they were doubling Joe (Clarke),” said Edney, who quarterbacked the football team to the state title. “They got the ball and threw it back to their basket to one of his teammates.”

Following his in-bounds pass, Edney raced up the court and jumped in front of the intended pass.

“I had to get the shot off as fast as I could,” Edney said.

When Edney’s shot swished through, New Rochelle fans rushed the court, but Mount Vernon began celebrating because public announcer Rich Leaf went by the referee’s call, initially saying it did not count.

Originally, Edney did not think it would count, even before the initial call was made: “Technically, no because 2.9 seconds is not enough time to do that,” Edney said.

It was Edney’s first basket of the fourth quarter and it will always be his most memorable.

“That is my first buzzer-beater on a 3-pointer in high school to win a game,” Edney said. “Winning a state football title was a great feeling, but this is just as good because of the way it happened.”

Edney and his teammates set up the unbelievable shot by outscoring Mount Vernon, 8-1, in the previous 2:42. Mount Vernon scored just one point overall in the game’s final 3:52.

Clarke finished with a game-high 30 points and was named the most valuable player.  Derek Dorn finished with 14 points and was named to the all-tournament team.

Traquann Scales led Mount Vernon with 12 points and Devonte Banner and Jamal Lewis each had 10 points.

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