Wild full-court buzzer-beater marks special moment in Cambridge brothers’ season
When Jordan Higdon rebounded a last-second free throw roughly 85 feet from the basket, Cambridge basketball’s chances at a win were slim.
The Bears had 1.1 seconds to score on the other side of the court to avoid a 47-45 loss to Blessed Trinity, the last-place team in the region, in early February.
Higdon, a junior forward, didn’t have time to pass — or think — but he had just enough time for a full-court heave.
Higdon grabbed the rebound, sidestepped a defender and launched a 3-point attempt from behind Blessed Trinity’s free-throw line.
“When I shot it, I was just thinking, ‘I’ve got to give it a chance,’” Higdon said.
Higdon got the shot off two-tenths of a second before the buzzer sounded. Higdon’s twin brother, Blake, called it a “laser.” The shot ricocheted off the back iron and into the hoop, sealing a crucial 48-47 region win.
“As soon as it went in, I didn’t know how to act,” Higdon said. “I kind of just jumped in the air and jumped up to one of my teammates.
“Everyone ran onto the court. I don’t really remember much after that, but I had a lot of fun after it.”
Blake Higdon watched the shot from the bench. He admitted to not having much faith as he watched the shot fly.
“I thought there was no chance at all that this ball was going to go in,” Blake said. “I thought we had lost that game, but you never know if it’s going to go in or not.
“I completely blacked out, and I was going nuts for Jordan. I was so happy for him.”
Jordan’s play has since been dubbed “the destiny shot” by Cambridge coach David Akin. It wasn’t just a once-in-a-lifetime memory — it was a defining moment in Cambridge’s season.
Jordan’s older brother, Carter Higdon, said the win kept Cambridge in control of its postseason destiny. The Bears earned the No. 1 seed in their region tournament.
The shot also helped spark Cambridge’s current four-game winning streak. The Bears beat Westminster, Blessed Trinity, Kell and Centennial to close the regular season.
“I feel like it just carried ... our morale and our team spirit, because we won three in a row after that, too,” Carter said. “I feel like that’s just going to carry on into the tournament and make my senior year and their junior years a lot better.”
Carter is Cambridge’s leading scorer, the Region 6-4A player of the year and a Navy commitment. Jordan and Blake are both working through the recruiting process as college football hopefuls.
The Higdon brothers hope to have plenty of highlights ahead in their careers, but they all agreed that their first season playing a sport together has been special.
“It’s just been such a fun season being able to play with both of my brothers at the same time,” Jordan said. “I think they can definitely agree, too, this is probably the most fun I’ve ever had playing a sport, even though I like football better.”
Cambridge will try to win its first region championship since 2019 this week. On Wednesday, the Bears will play the winner of Tuesday night’s contest between Blessed Trinity and Centennial.
The Region 6-4A championship will be played Friday at 8 p.m.
About the Author
Jack Leo is a sports writer and reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jack worked for the AJC throughout his four years studying journalism and sports media at Georgia State University and the University of Georgia. He's now focused on telling stories in the grassroots: bringing comprehensive coverage of high school sports for AJC Varsity.
