It's Barton, It's Barton

It's the stuff of legends, and it's what they make movies about. It's one of the most amazing finishes that I've ever seen. Cinderella lives and breathes in Wilson, N.C. The glass slipper fits, and Barton College is the NCAA Division II basketball champion.

They won the title 77-75 over undefeated and defending champion Winona State, a team which had won 57 straight games. They won it because they believed they'd win it. That's how Barton College, with an enrollment of a little over 900, had won all season long. Get behind, no problem, go to overtime -- the Bulldogs have 'em where they want 'em. That's Barton basketball.

If you didn't see it, and I hope you did, you missed a miracle. Here's how it went:

Barton trails the whole way in this game. But that, of course, doesn't bother these guys. They won in the quarterfinals on Wednesday with a three-pointer at the buzzer by Anthony Atkinson. They won in the semifinals by a point on an Atkinson free throw. And it was Anthony Atkinson on Saturday who engineers as shocking a comeback as I've ever seen.

But Atkinson really believes this is his time. He scores quickly to make it 74-69 with 38.2 seconds left. After a missed Winona State free throw, he races down the court quickly and scores again to make it 74-71 with 25 seconds left. Then the inbounds pass is stolen, the ball comes to Atkinson, he scores and draws the foul with 22 seconds left. I am thinking this guy is Superman, so I am stunned when he misses the free throw, and Barton still trails 74-73.

Meanwhile, Winona State isn't believing what is happening. Seconds before all this, they're celebrating an undefeated national championship, and now they're feeling the apple in the throat. These closing seconds to them are in slow motion.

Still up 74-73, Winona State is at the foul line. Jonte Flowers makes one of two, with their lead jumping to 2. Here comes the relentless Atkinson on the drive, and they can't t stop him. The game is tied at 75 with 7.6 seconds left. I am out of the chair standing in front of my 1986 television set. Winona State has a chance, and they race down the court, but out of control. They lose the ball, and Barton gets it -- and guess who is out there? It is Atkinson, all by himself, but can he beat the buzzer? Three seconds, two seconds. -- he lays it up ,and it is good and it counts! Barton wins it, and the Bulldogs win it at the buzzer!

Barton won the 2007 NCAA Division II Championship. Is that not unbelievable or what? Sometimes, it is just meant to be, and for this Barton basketball team, this is a moment that will stand in time even as the years fly by.

Atkinson, who played at Greenfield School in Wilson, had 29 points. He is one clutch player. He scored the game winner in all three tournament games.

So, congratulations to Barton College. I have a tiny bit of Bulldog in me, having taken a summer school course there way back when it was called Atlantic Christian College. The course was hard.

This is a team that went 31-5 and won an unreal nine overtime games. This was a team that was used to playing in close games and was used to winning them.

They believed. They believed even when they were seven down with 45 seconds left against a team that hadn't lost since January of 2006.

David had a big rock on Saturday, and the big giant of Division II was stunned senseless.