Going to a basketball game, men’s and women’s alike, at Northern Vermont University – Lyndon will be an experience you’ll never forget. But it isn’t because of the games themselves. Instead, students have found themselves looking forward to halftime shows. Following the Lyndon Stingers’ performance, junior Matt Doherty grabs a basketball and tries to throw half-court shots.
Doherty is part of the baseball team but works for the Athletics Department as part of the game crew for other sports. He watched the dance team from the sidelines, but after their performance was done, there was still more time before the teams returned to the court. “I decided to jump into the fray to fill the gap. [It] allowed me to jump out of my comfort zone,” he told The Critic.
The new tradition started at the NVU Men’s Basketball Tip-Off Classic hosted on the Lyndon campus. On the second day of the Tip-Off, Doherty stepped onto the court for the first time. “I remember the first shot; from a knee during the Bard/Johnson match. Everyone went ballistic.”
View Matt’s first half-court shot from one knee here (time code: 49:24).
Doherty has since attempted half-court shots from his knees, his back, jumping, and standing. He has made ten baskets so far. “[I’m] hoping to get a couple more before baseball starts,” he said.
During this weekend’s contests against Husson University, Doherty was not the only one taking shots. Visiting Eagle Jordyn Lengle asked if she could join him on the court and tried a few trick shots of her own. She was quickly followed by a few Lyndon students—some athletes, some not. “It’s crazy to think that what I do brings everyone together,” Doherty admitted. “No matter the side, everyone is engaged until the end.”
“I love feeding off the energy of the crowd, and it’s an experience worth sharing.” – Matt Doherty
Sophomore basketball player Kai Burridge often records Doherty’s shots when he’s not playing the game himself. He smiled as he told The Critic that “everyone at [the] school is viewed differently,” and bringing “fan favorites” together is a fun experience.
But not everyone is a fan of Doherty’s halftime shows. “When it’s our halftime, and we come back on… I think some people find it annoying,” Burridge admitted. “But I can’t say I don’t enjoy it; definitely fun to watch.”
With a couple of home games left in the season, the baseball player is eager to see how many more shots he can make.
Feature Photo by Alexandra Huff