Celebrating 90 Years of Leading The Way - Looking Back on One of the Greatest Finishes in College Basketball History
Conference Carolinas is highlighting some of the biggest achievements in conference history. The 90th anniversary of the formation of Conference Carolinas is on Dec. 6, 2020.
WILSON, N.C. - Is there anything more exciting than an improbable comeback and last-second victory in sports? Then multiply that by a million and you have the story of the 2007 Barton College Bulldogs.
In what many believe is the greatest comeback in college basketball championship history, Barton rose from the depths of despair to overcome a seven-point deficit in the final 38 seconds to post a stunning 76-74 victory in the NCAA Division II title game over the Winona State Warriors. The Warriors entered the contest with a national-record 57-game winning streak.
Anthony “Ant” Atkinson, who averaged 20.8 points and 6.0 assists in leading Barton to a 31-5 mark and a record
nine overtime wins during the regular season, seized national headlines when he scored the final 10 points of the game in those final 38 seconds, including a winning layup at the buzzer that sealed the win.
Atkinson, a 5-10, 160-pound senior point guard who was born and grew up in the shadows of Barton College in Wilson, finished with 29 points and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
“It was such a miracle finish,” said Ron Lievense, now in his 25th season as the Bulldogs’ head coach. “It’s something you’ll never forget the rest of your life.”
Nicknamed “Ant” as an infant, Atkinson became like the old cartoon character "Atom Ant" on the hardwood court that evening at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was almost like he had those superpowers, unleashing a nuclear-like furry that dominated the final minute of the game.
“I remember telling Ant ‘if you don’t take over this game, we’re going to have a hard time winning,’” said Lievense. “He was a very unselfish player. He easily could have averaged 30 points a game that year, so I knew what he was capable of.”
The final rally started rather innocently when Atkinson, after a Winona State made free throw, converted a layup with 38 seconds left to narrow the lead to 74-69. Then, after a Winona State missed foul shot and Barton rebound, Ant struck again by nailing a 12-footer at the 25-second mark which sliced the deficit to 74-71.
Fellow guard Errol Frails stole the ensuing in-bounds pass and assisted Atkinson on another lightning lay-in, closing the score to 74-73 with 22 seconds left. Atkinson was fouled on the play, but he uncharacteristically missed the free throw that would have tied the score.
“I felt like I let the team down,” Atkinson recalled.
However, the support from his teammates lifted his spirits and prepared him for his final heroics.
“Right after I missed the free throw, Brian Leggett (6-6 center) said ‘Don’t worry about it. You’re going to get another chance.’ Then later when I caught the ball near our bench, Mark Friscone (6-5 forward) yelled at me: ‘Don’t pass the ball!' It definitely made a difference for me.”
Following Atkinson’s missed free throw, teammate Alejo Barovero (6-7 forward from Argentina) fouled Winona State’s Jonte Flowers, who made the second of his two free throws to give the Warriors’ a 75-73 edge with 19 seconds left.
But Barton’s one-man wrecking crew struck again with Ant scoring on a driving reverse layup to amazingly tie the game with seven seconds on the clock.
Now smelling victory, Bulldogs’ guard Bobby Buffaloe stripped Zack Malvik--Winona State’s star player--while he was dribbling up the court and with 3.5 seconds Buffaloe passed to Atkinson.
“When Anthony got the ball, I was thinking maybe I should call timeout,” Lievense admitted. “But then I saw Anthony look up at the clock. I saw his eyes and peace came over me. I knew Anthony was going to make the right decision.”
The coach’s instincts proved clairvoyant. Alejo, who along with Atkinson was named a preseason All-America selection, set a ball screen for his teammate and Anthony made the biggest layup of his life with only one-tenth of a second remaining on the scoreboard.
For those watching those waning moments of the game, it appeared as though Atkinson was possessed to will Barton to victory.
“I knew this was the last game of my college career,” Atkinson said. “I was going to leave everything on the floor and was determined that we weren’t going to lose. My faith in the Lord and also in my basketball abilities made the difference. I knew all the work I had put in and had practiced and practiced for this moment.”
He credited his father (Anthony Sr.), a former athlete and long-time Christian minister, for constantly drilling him on basketball skills and game situations.
“My dad trained me like that as a little boy,” said Anthony Jr. “At that time, I didn’t understand it, but he was preparing me. I think it’s why I thrived in those moments. As a kid, you always dreamed about it. 5-4-3-2-1 and you hit the winning shot!”
See the final 45 seconds of the game on YouTube (Click This Link to Access)
The scene after the winning layup was sheer bedlam. Atkinson placed both hands on his head and sprinted across the length of the court, while his teammates shouted and jumped for joy.
“All I could say was, 'Oh my God, Oh My God, Oh My God,’” Anthony said. “Everything was just in slow motion. I think we all were in a state of shock. It was just surreal.”
CBS Network, which televised the game nationally, soon summoned Ant for a post-game interview on the floor.
“They were actually still reviewing the play during the interview,” said Atkinson, still shaking his head. “Then I hear the crowd starting to boo. I thought to myself, ‘please tell me the basket counted.’”
Of course, it did. And the rest, as they say, is history. In the following days, there were stories on ESPN,
Sports Illustrated and other national media outlets. In fact, Barton's miraculous victory was voted second at the ESPY’s for greatest comeback of the year. The team was invited to visit the North Carolina Governor’s mansion and the state’s House of Representatives.
Thousands Line Highway, Cheer Team Bus
Yet, maybe the most memorable moment for the team came the day after the championship game, when they flew home from Springfield.
“We had a police escort from the Raleigh-Durham Airport,” recalled Coach Lievense. “People lined the streets all the way to Wilson. There were probably 1,000 people waiting for us in town and then there was a big reception on campus with another 5,000 people. Tents were set up and there was a big platform for us to stand on right outside the gym.”
President Norval Kneten, now retired and living in Fort Worth, Texas, regularly attended Barton home games with his wife, Susan, and found himself caught up in the hysteria along with his students, faculty and staff.
He followed the team bus and police escort back to campus that day and marveled at the outpouring of love from the community.
“It was a remarkable and exciting trip as we followed the team in our car,” Kneten said. “As we left the airport, we saw people gathered at the first exit of the highway. Then we saw more people at the next exit and the next exit. Many had signs like ‘We’re No. 1’ and ‘National Champs!’”
Bulldogs Face Moment of Truth in Early Season
Despite a 31-5 record entering the postseason, Lievense stressed that his team had to overcome much adversity to even qualify for the Elite Eight.
Ranked No. 2 nationally in the preseason poll after a magnificent 28-4 record the previous season, the Bulldogs lost the services of 6-7 Argentinian swingman Alejo Barovero early in the season. The returning conference Player of the Year suffered a multi-fracture of his index finger on his shooting hand and was thought to be lost for the remainder of the campaign at the time.
“Looking back, you realize that these guys went through a lot during the season,” he said. “The loss of Barovero really impacted our team’s self confidence.”
The low point of the season came on Dec. 30, 2006, when the Barovero-less Bulldogs endured a humiliating 95-61 loss at Lenoir Rhyne. It was the Bulldogs third straight loss. As Coach Lievense and assistant coach Joel Zimmerman headed back to the locker room after the loss, the preseason No. 2 team was at a turning point.
“I remember telling Joel that this was going to be the most important team meeting of the season,” said Lievense. “When we got to the locker room, we saw that everybody was upset. We needed to have a heart-to-heart talk. I told the guys to be honest with the coaches and we would be honest with them. There had been a lot of pressure because of high expectations. We knew we had the pieces but we had to relax and play like we were capable of. After that talk, the pressure kind of eased and we took ownership.”
In fact, the team reeled off 21 straight victories and won 25 of its last 26 regular-season games.
Not to say that it was easy. Barton encountered several close games during that stretch, including nine contests decided in overtime. Remarkably, the team won all nine of those extra-period games--an NCAA record.
“I think they became a hardened team through the adversity,” said Lievense. “They learned how to win close games, so by the time they got to the NCAA Tournament they were ready for anything.”
The Bulldogs received an added boost just before the tournament when Barovelo decided to burn his redshirt year and rejoin the team.
“His injury had healed and he told us he was planning to return to Argentina for good after the season,” revealed Lievense. “Alejo was such an intelligent player who could drive, shoot the three and certainly help the team. So when he asked to play, it was a pretty easy decision.”
But it was Atkinson who left his indelible handprints throughout the final three rounds of the tournament. In the quarterfinals, he carved up Grand Valley State for 32 points on 12-of-18 shooting, including burying a 30-foot shot to win the game in overtime--of course--by a 83-81 margin. Then in the semifinals, it was Ant who threaded two free throws in the final seconds to beat Cal State San Bernardino, 80-79.
“Anthony was the best point guard in the country,” Lievense flatly stated. “Nobody in any division better than him. We won a lot of close games because of his leadership and the tremendous player that he was.”
Besides Atkinson and Barovero, the coach said all of the other players should also receive credit for the championship banner that currently hangs in Wilson Gymnasium.
“We had great defensive stoppers like Jeff Dalce and Errol Frales, a great rebounder and shot blocker in Brian Leggett, two tremendous three-point shooters in Bobby Buffaloe and Mark Friscone and L.J. Dunn, who had a great freshman season. It was just a total team effort.”
To this day, the coach can’t help but think about how his team cheated long odds in those fleeting seconds to claim the school’s first and only NCAA crown.
“A good friend (Mike Eatmon) was sitting behind our bench during the tournament and he had befriended the security guard stationed near him,” said the coach. “The NCAA had already taken out the championship hats behind the Winona State bench and the guard said he was heading over there to help keep their crowd from rushing the court. My friend told the guard, ‘don’t leave yet, this game isn’t over. We believe we’re going to win!'”
That “We Believe” mantra became the official mantra of all Barton fans during the tournament, and their belief--along with every player and coach on the team--was richly rewarded with the greatest comeback in college basketball history.
Atkinson Fueled by Faith
Leading the charge was Atkinson, who simply would not be denied. His coach said the Christian faith that is embraced at Barton College played a role in the miraculous performance by his team, and particularly, Atkinson.
“This team was a team of faith; faith in themselves and God above,” said Lievense. “I think that gave them an inner confidence that anything could happen. A lot of that started with Anthony Atkinson. He is a strong man of faith. I can remember very clearly, we were having breakfast at the Elite Eight. I got to the dining room a little early and there was Anthony by himself, having a little bible study quiet time.”
The coach also shared the biblical story of David and Goliath, which was apropos considering the then 900-enrollment Barton College would be facing NCAA opponents with much larger enrollments and budgets in Grand Valley State (25,000 enrollment), Cal State San Bernardino (20,000) and Winona State (9,000).
“The media called us the little school that could,” said Lievense. “We enjoyed being the underdogs and we knew we had to prove ourselves.”
For Atkinson, his remarkable display was a childhood dream come true.
“It was humbling,” said Ant, thinking back to his days growing up in Wilson and attending Greenfield High School. “Things happen for a reason. To see all my friends and family from my hometown so happy made it more special.”
The Wilson native clearly drove home that point when it was his time to speak at the campus rally.
“There had been a lot of bad things happening in town back then, like violence and robberies, so I took the time to remind everybody that good things can happen in Wilson. I remember telling all the young kids in the audience that ‘I was once a little boy growing up in Wilson and dreams can come true. This town is what made me, and now we’re national champions!’”
The sudden championship buzz about Barton College also led to increased donations and student enrollment, according to former President Kneten. Yet it was the team’s example, said Kneten, that best served the school’s legacy.
“Barton College has a long heritage of the Christian church and those values,” said Kneten. “They didn’t have to wear those relationships on their sleeves, but it’s spiritual values that strengthen individuals in times of stress and difficulty. A calmness in pressure situations--that’s the character of Christian faith. That is more important than simply winning. Winning is not really the objective because there’s a lot more at stake than the final score.”
2007 Team Members Now Enjoy Career Successes
Coach Lievense takes particular pride in how his former players have gone on to enjoy successful careers and rewarding lives. He enjoys reconnecting with all his players, particularly at team reunions.
A sampling:
Brian Leggett played basketball overseas and in the NBA G-League before becoming a Baltimore/DC businessman; Mark Friscone is a successful sales executive; Alejo Barovero played basketball professionally for 10 years in his native Argentina and now practices law; David King is Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves; Errol Frails is manager of a manufacturing company; and Bobby Buffaloe owns a bowling alley and amusement business.
For former President Kneten, he is particularly proud of Ant Atkinson, a young man he and his wife Susan took special interest in during their time at Barton.
“Barton is a small place and we would talk to him on campus and the cafeteria quite often,” he said. “Our main concern was that he finished his degree while starring in basketball. We had a number of conversations about that. My last year as President, I was able to shake his hand as he got his degree on stage during graduation. I was very proud of him.”
Kneten also confessed that Atkinson’s antics in the final seconds of that championship game provided a source of inspiration as he oversaw the college’s operations.
“Being a college President can be tough,” he admitted. “Some mornings I would pull up that game on YouTube, so I faced that day’s challenges with a more positive attitude. I think there’s a lot of people who still do that today.”
For Atkinson, that winning shot was merely the beginning of his magical journey in the sport of basketball.
Later that summer, the Harlem Globetrotters selected him as their No. 1 draft choice. Before long, he was suited up in the team’s familiar red-white-and-blue uniform and joining the layup line with “Sweet Georgia Brown” blaring from an arena sound system.
“Not only did we win a national championship, but it changed my life. If that doesn’t happen, I don’t play 12 years with the Globetrotters and I might not be the man that I am today. Those precious seconds changed my entire life.”
In a stroke of irony, Atkinson and the Harlem Globetrotters played a game in Springfield, Massachusetts in 2010. It marked the first time Ant had visited the MassMutual Center since making his game-winning layup three years earlier.
“Some of the arena workers remembered me,” Atkinson said. “They called me Little Moses. I told my Globetrotter teammates that I won a national championship here. They all laughed and insisted that we reenact ‘the shot.’”
Atkinson retired from the Globetrotters in 2018 and now coaches and teaches career management and personal finance at Wilson Preparatory Academy, a charter high school in his hometown. He and his wife Laura, who he first met in middle school, have two sons named Anthony III (nine) and Hayden (six).
The Barton legend also does motivational speaking.
“When I play the YouTube video, the crowd still goes nuts. My message is ‘Never give up.’ I’m living proof that anything is possible.”
Ant Meets Curly Neal in Globetrotter Debut
Atkinson also shares the story about the first game he ever played with the Harlem Globetrotters.
“We were in Sacramento at Arco Arena,” he recalled. “I was already nervous and then I see Curly Neal come into our locker room.”
Neal, who made ball handling a true art form as the legendary point guard of the Globetrotters from 1963-85, added extra pressure to Atkinson’s debut as the newest Globetrotter as he was expected to fill that same role on the team.
“Curly yelled across the room, ‘Hey homeboy, come give me a hug!” said Anthony, wondering who Neal was talking to. “Then he comes up to me and says he’s also from North Carolina (Greensboro) and we became fast friends.”
Coach Lievense insists that Atkinson could have played in the NBA if given the chance.
“Scouts told me If he was two inches taller, he’d be a millionaire,” he shared. “Anthony could play against anybody. He was just so super quick and explosive. And he could stop on a dime and hit a jump shot from anywhere on the floor.”
However, Atkinson said he cherished his years with the Globetrotters, which gave him the opportunity to see so many foreign countries.
As a world ambassador, Anthony also was often asked to speak to various groups as a member of the Globetrotters. Maybe it was the speech class he took in high school or perhaps it was all those Sundays when he would watch his father, Rev. Anthony Atkinson Sr. give sermons at Faith & Praise Church in Wilson, but Ant proved a natural.
In fact, some close friends have suggested he consider going into the clergy. But Atkinson says his calling is to lift up people who need inspiration, whether it be at school or his speaking engagements.
“Everybody has a different ministry,” he said. “My ministry doesn’t have to be at a pulpit. Maybe it might be wearing a whistle. God blessed me and put me in a great place in my life.”
For many years to come, Barton College will remember Atkinson as the ultimate game-changer and one of the most talented basketball players in school annals. And on March 24, 2007, he was much more than a game-changer. He was a history-maker.
Bob Rose is a longtime sports public relations executive who has worked for the San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, the NFL Cardinals, Cal, Stanford and other organizations. Conference Carolinas’ official storyteller, Rose will incorporate unique features through his “Body, Mind, and Soul” series into the 90th anniversary celebration.