By Maddie Gionet, features editor
ST. BONAVENTURE (June 2) – With 1.6 seconds left on the clock, Michael Davenport shoots and sinks a 3-pointer for the Bonnies.
After a failed Hail Mary, the crowd stormed the court since St. Bonaventure just defeated the then undefeated-in-the-Atlantic-10-Conference Duquesne, 64-62, on February 5.
While the students ran amuck, SBU-TV Sports and its crew calmly continued on its broadcast, which included various shots of the court storming and an on-court interview with head coach Mark Schmidt.
The crew could not celebrate with fellow classmates then, but SBU-TV Sports crew may now celebrate with themselves this summer after earning a nomination for a 2011 College Sports Media Award.
“It all comes down to the preparation in the truck, and the knowledge every crew member (student) had accrued so that they snapped to their shots, got replays and updated graphics as a smooth team,” said Paul Wieland, director in the production truck.
Wieland, a lecturer of journalism and mass communication, said the crew handled the high-pressure situation well.
Shannon Shepherd, the sideline reporter at the game, said she was only supposed to get an interview with assistant coach Dave Moore but ended up getting an interview with Schmidt after the win.
“As the game came to an end, I was so anxious,” said Shepherd, a senior journalism and mass communication major. “All I remember was pulling Dallas Miller aside at the last time out and saying I had to get Schmidt if we won the game. I had questions prepared in my mind if we won. I knew that they were the number one team in the A-10 so I asked about that.”
Dallas Miller, the Bonnies’ sports information director, said after Schmidt shook hands with the opposing team, he grabbed the coach and brought him to Shepherd.
“It was a really good interview and a good clip,” Miller said. “The clip really captured not only the game but how much fun The Reilly Center can be when the Bonnies are playing a good game.”
Miller, who didn’t know the award was given out, said SBU-TV Sports is worthy of the nomination. He said the nomination is well deserved and it’s great recognition to the university and everyone who helped put the clip together.
Miller said the clip has already been used to recruit players to the men’s basketball team.
“Instead of just telling recruits about what it’s like to play in the RC, we can say, ‘You want to see what it’s like to play in the RC?’ and then we show them that clip,” Miller said.
He added the clip, posted to YouTube, has gotten 10, 477 views as of May 28, and 10,000 of those views came within the first week.
Wieland, the former executive producer of Sabres TV and the Niagara Frontier Sports Network, said he hopes prospective students hear about the finalist status of SBU-TV Sports in the competition and search out the journalism and mass communication school at St. Bonaventure.
Shepherd said she hopes June 7 brings news of victory when SBU-TV Sports finds out who won the award.
“It justifies the hard work all of the students have put into the truck,” she said.” It’s an honor to be a part of this team. If we win, we find out on June 7 which is my 21st birthday, making it twice as sweet.”
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