New Jersey Teen Nets Half-Court Buzzer Beater

WOOD-RIDGE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A half-court shot is attempted in the NBA about twice per game, but its success rate is less than one percent.

Nowhere in sports is something so futile attempted so often. Maybe because when it works, the results are inspiring.

As CBS2's Steve Overmyer reported, one New Jersey teen recently made the near-impossible happen.

Wood-Ridge High School was trailing Paterson in a junior varsity game by three points with just one second left. Then, from 74 feet away, Anthony D'Amico fired the ball toward the basket.

"As soon as I let it go, I was like wow, this might go in," he said. "I thought we were going to lose, and I just tied the game."

The long shot comes with varying approaches. There's the classic running shot, the shot put, even the no-look prayer. D'Amico went with the seldom used one-handed pitcher's throw.

"In pitching, I did really good this year. I guess my arm from pitching got stronger from last year, and it just helped with the range," he said.

"At that distance, you only have a 0.13 chance at making that shot," Overmyer told the teen.

"That's crazy. That's kind of life changing," he responded.

Maybe D'Amico can credit his experience with the long shots to his coach and a tasty beverage.

"It's funny, we do at the end of practice sometimes, we call them 'Snapple shots.' So, if the kids hit a half court shot, I buy the team Snapple," head coach Ed "Rock" Rendzio said. "It can add up pretty quick."

"They couple behind me were like, 'why does the kid keep fouling? What are they going to do in one second?' Then he throws the shot, and they're like, 'oh, that's what he's going to do in one second," D'Amico's mother, Stacy Prato, said.

While it wasn't a game-winner, sometimes all you need to make your mark is one second.