Belmont Student Makes Half-Court Shot for Tuition

Belmont junior Daniel Clay celebrates his half-court shot. (Screenshot via @belmontmbb on Instagram)

The biggest shot in the Curb Event Center this year wasn't made by a player, but by a accounting and business systems & analytics double-major.

Belmont junior Daniel Clay made the Matt Hardin Law Shot for Tuition at halftime of the men's basketball game against Illinois State Saturday. The half-court heave earned Clay a free semester at Belmont University.

"My dad always joked with me, 'Hey, if you ever go and take that shot, that money's going straight to my account,'" said Clay. "I kind of messed with him after the game, and he goes, 'Yeah, you know, we'll take you out to a nice dinner.'"

Clay, a Nashville native, had ties to Belmont long before he ever enrolled. His parents are both alumni, and he's been a lifelong fan.

"I've been coming to Belmont games since I was in a stroller," he said. "I could probably count on my hand the amount of home Belmont games that I've missed in my entire life."

The feat is a rare one; Clay's attempt was the first to go in this season.

"I've only seen Daniel make it in person," said Noah Stevens, president of Belmont's student section: the M.O.B. "I've seen videos of it, and I know that it's happened every year since I got here, but both other times I wasn't able to be there for one reason or another."

Stevens attempted the shot himself this season, but was unsuccessful.

"Mine was really close, I'm not going to lie to you. If it was like two degrees to the right, it was going to go in," he said.

Even with his own miss, Stevens and the rest of the M.O.B. were eager to celebrate Clay's shot.

"We all just exploded. It was awesome," he said.

Clay estimated he's seen four or five people make the shot before him. Even with the rare accomplishment under his belt, he ranked his own make as his third favorite Belmont basketball moment, trailing Caron Johnson's and Taylor Barnett's game-winning shots in the 2013 and 2015 Ohio Valley Conference Championships.

Although he only gives his own shot the bronze medal, he didn't downplay the impact it will have on his family.

"I'm really fortunate my parents are able to take care of school for me," he said. "It's a big, big weight off their shoulders."

This article was written by Nick Rampe