Yahoo Finance Stephen F. Austin hero Nathan Bain dedicates win over Duke to Bahamas family hit hard by Hurricane Dorian
Stephen F. Austin senior Nathan Bain hit a shot that will forever live in college basketball lore on Tuesday with a transition layup that just beat the buzzer to stun top-ranked Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The shot secured the first win by a non-ranked power conference team on Duke’s home floor since Wagner beat the Blue Devils in 1983.
MAYHEM 😱@SFA_MBB TAKES DOWN NO. 1 DUKE ON A LAST-SECOND LAYUP pic.twitter.com/3VqVyvUbbU
— FOX Sports South (@FOXSportsSouth) November 27, 2019
After officials confirmed that his shot indeed left his hand before the buzzer sounded for an 85-83 victory, Bain gave an emotional postgame interview to Fox Sports South.
Bain’s dedicates win to family in Bahamas
Bain, a native of Freeport, Bahamas, saw his family hit hard by Hurricane Dorian in September and dedicated the victory to his people back home as well as the Stephen F. Austin community that embraced him during difficult times.
Nathan Bain, everyone. @SFA_MBB // #RaiseTheAxe pic.twitter.com/mA7aNJeAfc
— FOX Sports South (@FOXSportsSouth) November 27, 2019
“I’m trying real hard not to get emotional,” Bain said as he fought back tears. “My family lost a whole lost this year. Whoo, I’m not gonna cry on TV.
“My family lost a whole lot this year. I’m just playing this game for them. Just playing for my SFA family, my family back home in the Bahamas. I just want to make my country proud.”
Hurricane Dorian’s devastating impact
Dorian, a Category 5 storm, ravaged the Bahamas with 185-mph winds when it made landfall on Sept. 1 and hovered over the island nation until the next day. The latest death toll has risen to 69 with hundreds still missing and thousands left homeless.
Bain’s family runs a church and a school in the Bahamas, according to east Texas’ KTRE9. Both the church and the school as well as Bain’s family home took significant damage in the storm.
“The church got hit really hard,” Bain told KTRE in September. “My house got hit really hard. We lost just about everything. We are still trying to stay positive because more important than the material things, everyone in our circle and immediate family and church family is safe.”
SFA community had Bain’s back
Bain told KTRE he received an outpouring of support from the Stephen F. Austin community after the storm.
“You have to out your arms around him and love on him as much as you can," head coach Kyle Keller told KTRE.
Bain acknowledged that support during his postgame interview on Tuesday.
“When everything happened earlier inside the year, they had my back,” Bain said. “I just wanted to return the favor.”
Bain tallied 11 points, five rebounds and three steals in the massive upset of a basketball blue blood.
He also secured an opportunity to raise awareness for a fundraiser to help his family rebuild in the aftermath of the devastating storm.
.@SFA_MBB senior Nate Bain and his family were just some of the hundreds of thousands Bahamians who had their lives changed forever after Hurricane Dorian.
With your help, we can aid in their recovery process. #AxeEm
🖥 | https://t.co/6UaKklJk5a pic.twitter.com/sPL2II08Ww— SFA Athletics (@SFA_Athletics) September 18, 2019
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