The story of Sam Haiby’s New Year’s Eve game includes pickle juice, a buzzer beater and the No. 1 spot on ‘SportsCenter’ | Women’s Basketball

So Haiby told assistant coach Chuck Love she was ready, and he quickly told Haiby to check in the game. Then Haiby asked Love whom she should go in for?

Love’s response: “Anybody!”

“That was funny. Everyone was laughing,” Haiby said. “The scorer’s table was laughing, too.”

On Nebraska’s injury-depleted roster, that may have been Love’s response to any of Nebraska’s guards, but especially Haiby. She leads the Huskers in scoring (16.1 per game), rebounding (7.4) and assists (3.7).

She’s one of Nebraska’s best players at creating a scoring chance with her drives to the basket, and with the game on the line you’d want Haiby in the game.

On the winning basket, Haiby got her own rebound on the right side of the hoop and quickly got off a shot high off the backboard with about 0.5 seconds left in the game.

“I kind of just chased my miss and put something at the rim, and it fell in for us,” Haiby said. “I wouldn’t say I practice it, but it wasn’t super-unorthodox either.”

Later that evening, ESPN chose it as the No. 1 play of the day, and an ESPN anchor was animated when explaining what Haiby had done.

“(Haiby) missed the scoop shot, but she’s going to stay with it and try to put in her own rebound before time expires,” the ESPN anchor said. “Wow! What a shot! Sam! Wow, look at this tough angle; she does it perfectly. Nebraska, winner, winner.”