{"id":7571,"date":"2019-12-17T07:07:41","date_gmt":"2019-12-17T12:07:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/?p=7571"},"modified":"2019-12-16T09:52:40","modified_gmt":"2019-12-16T14:52:40","slug":"december-22-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/december-22-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"December 22, 2019–When the Impossible Happens"},"content":{"rendered":"

John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA<\/b><\/p>\n

Warm-up\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Tell the group that today they are going to learn a magic trick.\u00a0 <\/span>Pick one of the simple tricks from these websites or share one you know.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/stories\/4051\/easy-magic-tricks-for-kids\/<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.lifehack.org\/323348\/8-easy-magic-tricks-for-you-show-off-parties<\/a><\/p>\n

When the Impossible Happens<\/b><\/p>\n

When the men\u2019s basketball team from Stephen F. Austin arrived in Durham, NC on November 26, 2019 to play the number one ranked Duke Blue Devils, no one outside of Stephen F. Austin\u2019s players and fans expected the game to be close.\u00a0 <\/span>According to the experts, Duke was a 27.5 point favorite in the game.\u00a0 <\/span>For the Duke fans gathering that night, it was supposed to be an opportunity to see their team extend their 150-game winning streak at home against non-conference opponents.\u00a0 <\/span>For the Stephen F. Austin fans, it was supposed to be an opportunity to see their team play in a historic arena.\u00a0 <\/span>What fans of both teams witnessed, however, was far from what they expected.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

From the opening tip, the older, more experienced team from Stephen F. Austin played with confidence.\u00a0 <\/span>Each time that Duke got a lead, Stephen F. Austin\u2019s team rallied to keep the game close.\u00a0 <\/span>Duke held a five-point lead at halftime, but as the second half began, it quickly became obvious that the young Duke\u00a0players were feeling the pressure.\u00a0 <\/span>Missed shots and missed free throws came in bunches.\u00a0 <\/span>The teams traded baskets and with 19 seconds left in the game, Gavin Kemsmil from Stephen F. Austin made a basket to send the game into overtime. In overtime, both teams struggled to score, but with the game tied 83 to 83 and 15 seconds left, Duke had the ball and a chance to win the game.\u00a0 <\/span>In the previous 150 straight games at home against non-conference foes like Stephen F. Austin, Duke had always made that shot that they needed and won the game.\u00a0 <\/span>On this night, the shot bounced off the rim.\u00a0 <\/span>The rebound slipped onto the floor and rolled to a Stephen F. Austin player who threw it to Matthew Bain.\u00a0 <\/span>Bain raced the length of the court and laid the ball in the basket right in front of the Stephen F. Austin bench just before the clock struck zero.<\/p>\n

As the final score appeared on the scoreboard, Duke fans stood in stunned silence and the small group of Stephen F. Austin fans and players erupted with joy and amazement.\u00a0 <\/span>This team of junior college transfers and players most people had never heard of pulled off the biggest statistical upset in NCAA basketball in the last 15 years.\u00a0 <\/span>They defeated the number one team in college basketball.\u00a0 <\/span>They ended Duke\u2019s 150-game home winning streak, a streak which began in 2000 when Duke beat Stephen F. Austin.\u00a0 <\/span>As the season continues, both teams will have their share of wins and losses, but on that night in Durham, NC, the players from Stephen F. Austin proved to themselves and to others that sometimes the impossible really is possible.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Discussion Questions<\/b><\/p>\n