WATCH: Indiana cheerleaders save the day, dislodge ball atop backboard
In an otherwise sloppy game for the Hoosiers, an Indiana cheerleader stole the show on Thursday night after the ball got stuck atop the basket.
Indiana, which was trailing by a large margin for the majority of the contest, had one moment to cheer for early on in the second half, when the No. 12-seeded Hoosiers — fresh off a win in a First Four play-in game against Wyoming — trailed 45-29. Indiana took the ball up the court, and guard Xavier Johnson quickly threw the ball to Trayce Jackson-Davis near the basket, but the hard pass deflected off Jackson-Davis’ hands and went over the basket. In the process, the ball got lodged atop the backboard.
Players, coaches and referees alike were unsure what to do or how to proceed — they brought out broomsticks, chairs and other random courtside items to try reaching the ball, but it appeared clearly out of reach. Then, the Indiana cheer team came to the rescue, launching one of the cheerleaders into the air who quickly took down the ball.
After the Indiana cheerleaders helped get the ball down from the backboard, they were met with a standing ovation from the crowd, the only such reaction Hoosiers fans had in the second half. Later in the broadcast, the TBS crew even caught up with her on the sidelines to discuss her viral moment.
“We were like, ‘maybe we should throw us up there,’ but then it actually happened. I didn’t think it was going to happen,” she said with laughter.
The other Indiana cheerleader — the one that hoisted her in the air — was equally as shocked that their services were needed.
“They had the chair out there, but they couldn’t put the player on the chair. I was like, ‘Well, we lift them up all the time, so why don’t we just try that?'” he said.
She said she was “comfortable” in her abilities to get up there, eventually getting the ball down and letting Indiana and Saint Mary’s continue play. Unfortunately for Indiana fans, there wasn’t much else to cheer about that half.
“Every single day, we stunt together, so I’m (comfortable) with everyone here, too,” she said. “That was nothing, really.”
In the end, No. 12 seed Indiana fell by a huge margin, with the No. 5 Saint Mary’s Gaels winning by an 82-53 final.