Braxton Bayless needed only four dribbles to go the length of the court to make his latest buzzer-beater.
The former Ankeny basketball star made a go-ahead layup with .4 seconds remaining to give Western Kentucky a 64-63 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday night at Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky.
“Coach (Hank Plona) said if we get it, go,” said Bayless. “He wanted me to shoot it, so I took it to the basket.”
With just 5.4 seconds left, Louisiana Tech was fouled down low and connected on the first free throw before Plona called the Hilltoppers’ final timeout with the score tied at 62-62. The Bulldogs then hit the second attempt to regain a 63-62 lead.
Bayless received the ensuing inbounds pass and dashed up the court. He took his fourth dribble as he crossed midcourt and stepped between two Louisiana Tech defenders, then continued down the lane and converted the layup before time expired.
The final sequence was such a blur that Bayless may have taken an extra step, but if he did, the referees didn’t notice.
The graduate guard finished with a career-high 27 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range. He also had five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
“Just being aggressive and not overthinking,” Bayless said. “If I miss a shot, just keep going.”
Bayless, who spent the previous two seasons at Niagara, has played in all 27 games with 16 starts for the Hilltoppers. He is averaging 7.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
Western Kentucky is now 6-8 in Conference USA and 15-12 overall. The win ended a four-game losing skid for the Hilltoppers.
“I knew it was coming soon, just the way we practice,” Bayless said. “We stayed resilient, and we go hard every day regardless of the outcome. So I knew it was coming.”