During March Madness, legends are made when unlikely stars step up in crucial situations. That happened for Camden Heide on Saturday with the Longhorns clinging to a one-point lead over No. 3 Gonzaga with less than 20 seconds left. The Minnesota native was called upon to put the game out of reach, and he delivered with a three-pointer that will forever hold a special place in Longhorns history.
Heading into the final minute, Heide had been held scoreless as Texas traded shots with Gonzaga all night. Then Heide entered, the mix draining a three-pointer to make it a 72-68 game. The Longhorns would add on more to the basket to make it 74-68 before the final whistle blew.
For Heide, it is a moment he will never forget. He finished the game with three points in 13 minutes of action. While that was the lowest point total of any of the Longhorns’ starters, he had the biggest shot of the night. It was a play that head coach Sean Miller had all that confidence in the Purdue transfer executing.
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“I had a feeling, so I put Cam Heide in, and I’m just glad he had the confidence to take that shot,” Miller said on TBS postgame.” So, I’ll take credit for putting him (Heide) in the game.”
With their second win of the tournament in the books, Texas will now shift its focus to the Sweet Sixteen, where it will take on No.2 Purdue. That game is set for Thursday night, and the Longhorns will once again be the underdogs. However, so far in March, that has not been an issue.
If the Longhorns are going to once again shock the basketball world, they will need Heide to continue coming through with clutch shots.
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Bench to Hero: Camden Heide propels Longhorns to win over Gonzaga
