College baller, Bello, loses shoe mid-game, but shows no mercy to opponents
During a clash between Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons and University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles, Bello dropped a shoe on the court. Instead of halting the game to put on a fresh pair and potentially throwing a wrench in his team's defense, Bello picked up the discarded footwear and continued to shine.
With the clock ticking down, Jack Campion from Southern Indiana lined up for a three-point attempt. Bello, clutching his right shoe in hand, swung it left and right in an unorthodox blocking maneuver and managed to deflect Campion's shot. The shot swished through the air, deflected by the shoe, much to the astonishment of both teams and the spectators.
This unconventional shot blocking technique gave the Mastodons the momentum they needed to secure a crucial win, with Bello contributing 12 points, 5 rebounds, and the unconventional block, boosting his team to a 9-1 record in the season.
Zane Clodfelter, the officiating referee, stated that according to Evansville Courier-Journal, using a shoe to block a shot is within the game's rules as long as the ball isn't thrown [1]. The Mastodons' official Twitter account suggested that Bello's performance should land him in Springfield, Massachusetts – home to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Coach Jon Coffman lauded Bello for his quick thinking and defensive prowess, leading to 'Stopping what's necessary' joyful exclamations on social media. Coach Stan Gould from the Screaming Eagles was equally in awe of the shoe-block technique, confessing that he had never seen anything like it in his 25-year career.
Though Bello may not be encouraged to adopt this baseline-dodging shot-blocking technique consistently, he proves that when the game is on the line, he's always ready to pull out unconventional moves to help his team win.
Footnote
[1] Enrichment Data: Using shoes to block shots is not a common or legal practice in basketball. Players typically use their hands to deflect or intercept the ball, while hand-to-hand blocking is a fundamental skill taught in the game. Using shoes to block shots would likely result in a foul and could lead to traveling or holding violations depending on the circumstances.
