In Nassau, Bahamas, Jeremy Roach, known for his distinguished tenure at Duke where he reached the Final Four and clinched both the ACC regular-season and tournament titles, is quickly making a name for himself with his new team.

On Thursday night, Roach delivered a stunning moment by hitting a buzzer-beater 3-pointer during the second overtime, leading No. 13 Baylor to a thrilling 99-98 comeback win over No. 22 St. John’s in the Baha Mar Championship.

Roach’s journey transformed dramatically in what was just his fifth game for Baylor (4-1). As the game approached its conclusion, the Bears were up by two with merely 17 seconds on the clock. Roach had the opportunity to secure the game from the free-throw line but unfortunately missed the first of a one-and-one attempt.

“He jokingly said, ‘I’m going to miss this free throw so I can get a SportsCenter Top 10 play,’” recalled Bears coach Scott Drew.

On the other side, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino expressed his frustrations regarding the officials’ conduct, which he deemed “unethical.” He accused Coach Drew of instigating an unnecessary replay review, which he claimed disrupted free-throw shooter Zuby Ejiofor.

With the score tight, Baylor committed a foul against Ejiofor with just 4.1 seconds remaining in regulation. Ejiofor proceeded to miss both free throws, subsequently paving the way for Roach’s game-winning shot.

“I can’t find the right words. The referees didn’t perform well tonight. I believe icing my free-throw shooter at the end was entirely unethical. Such actions shouldn’t occur,” said Pitino, asserting that while it affected the game, it was not the sole reason for their loss.

St. John’s had a solid grip on the game, once leading by five with just 18 seconds left in the second overtime and previously dominating with an 18-point lead in the first half.

Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe sparked hope with a 3-pointer, narrowing the score to 98-96, and soon after, the Bears sent Ejiofor to the line. Roach reflected on the moment, saying, “I just knew that if they’d miss the two free throws, I’d have a chance to redeem myself.”

Norchad Omier, a transfer from Miami who was previously a competitor against Roach, grabbed the second missed free throw, passing it to Roach.

Roach advanced the ball up the court, maneuvered to create space, then stepped back several feet behind the 3-point line and delivered the game-winning shot over Deivon Smith of St. John’s.

With his scoring prowess, Roach managed to finish the night with a season-high 20 points for Baylor. A seasoned player who previously amassed over 1,000 points at Duke, Roach, now a 23-year-old fifth-year senior, has taken on a leadership role with his new team, swiftly overcoming his earlier free-throw mishap.

“I just aimed to make up for my mistake to the team. My teammates consistently believed in me and encouraged me to move forward,” Roach concluded.