Woman's $10,000 shot called off

By David Roth

Daily Sports Writer

If a heated two-point contest didn't give fans enough to talk about at halftime of the Michigan-Ohio State women's basketball game, a close call denying fan Judy Mercy $10,000 certainly did.

Mercy, a middle school volleyball coach in Clinton, was one of three participants selected for the Hot Shot Challenge, sponsored by Busch's grocery chain and Mountain Dew.

The contest challenged participants to shoot from five different spots on the floor. Each basket made within the allotted 30 seconds earned prizes.

After missing three times from the baseline 15 feet away, Mercy managed to sink four in a row from within the arc.

For the final shot, she heaved the ball from three-point range, granny-style in desperation, just as the buzzer rang.

"Normally I wouldn't shoot like that, but I knew my time was limited," Mercy said. "I threw it up and hoped it went in."

Somehow, the miracle shot found its way to the net and swished through.

"I thought that was wonderful," Michigan athletic director Bill Martin said. "It was great excitement. That last shot was phenomenal - the way she threw it with two hands."

"I thought I won and I was excited," Mercy said. "I looked at the Pepsi guy and he's got his hands up. Then I looked over at the one guy and he just said 'no.'"

The "one guy" was former Michigan running back and current Michigan assistant marketing director Jamie Morris, who waved the shot off, much to the dismay of Mercy and the 2,701 in attendance Crisler Arena.

"She had the ball in her hands when the buzzer rang," Morris said. "It's like the NBA. If you shoot the ball and it's in the air and the buzzer goes off, and it goes in, it counts. If you don't shoot the ball and it's in your hands, the referee comes out and waves off the play."

After the initial confusion, Mercy realized the call was final.

"My stomach dropped and then I heard the crowd booing," Mercy said.

Pepsi, not the Michigan athletic department, pays the money; there was no reason for Morris to call off her shot.

"If that ball would have been released before the horn blew, I would have been over there loving her and hugging her," Morris said.

To ensure the call was the right one, Mercy's shot was reviewed on video tape.

"I was a little worried myself as to did she or didn't she win it," Martin said. "But they have a video camera with a clock in it and they punch it when she starts and she didn't complete the last one in time."

But Mercy didn't make the first four shots for nothing. Prizes include season tickets to men's and women's basketball games next year, a Mountain Dew jacket, a Michigan windbreaker, $35 to Busch's and a case of Pepsi.

"I appreciate what I got from the different sponsors, but I'd be lying if I was to say I still wasn't disappointed," Mercy said. "To me, the disappointing part was that there was confusion - some people saying yes and some people saying no."

The thought of having $10,000 won't leave Mercy's mind anytime soon.

"I didn't sleep very good last night and I'm still questioning myself," Mercy said. "I just wish that last shot didn't go in and I wouldn't feel as bad as I do. I would have been overjoyed with making the first four.

"I keep replaying that in my mind. I am hoping someone will call and say they changed their mind. You never know."