Community won their first Sectional title since 2015 on March 1 in with a buzzer-beating dunk from Jaheem Webber. With the win over Quincy, Community will face Downers Grove North in Supersectional action.

In NCAA March Madness history, there have been just two buzzer-beating dunks. The feat was last performed over 40 years ago, not repeated in nearly 2,500 matchups.

By any measure, at any level, the buzzer-beating dunk is a rare conclusion to any basketball contest. Come March, against the toughest competition on the court, even rarer.

To witness it can be described in one word.

Madness.

March Madness.

On the first day of March, the Normal Ironmen etched their name into the IHSA March Madness lore with a buzzer-beating dunk.

The Ironmen secured a 44-43 victory over the Quincy Blue Devils and a Super-Sectionals bid when Jaheem Webber slammed home the game-winning dunk as time expired.

With 4.3 seconds left on the clock, Community trailed the Blue Devils by one.

Implementing a full-court press, five Iron defenders swarmed Quincy’s offense, leaving no room for an open pass.

All 6-foot-10 of Webber pressured the inbounder, and fearing a five-second violation, the Western Big 6 champs forced an errant pass to senior guard Ralph Wires.

Wires, cloaked by Community’s Braylon Roman, couldn’t secure the pass. The Blue Devil made every effort to keep the ball inbounds, diving at the baseline.

And turned it over.

The ball landed at Webber’s feet under the basket. The Wright State commit seized the loose ball, sealing the victory with a thunderous dunk as the buzzer sounded, and Community’s student section stormed the court in a sea of white.

Community head coach Mr. David Witzig was all smiles when he expressed disbelief at the game’s outcome.

The veteran head coach stated precisely what everyone in the packed Dawdy Hawkins Gymnasium was thinking: “I cannot believe that happened.”

With the unbelievable ending, the Iron handed Quincy their fourth loss of the season and avenged 2022’s 56-51 Sectional Final loss to the Devils.

“March madness,” Witizig said, “has happened.”

Ahead of the game, the Blue Devils were having a decorated 2023-24 campaign. The team boasted a 28-3 record, was 12-0 at home and was perfect in neutral sites games.

Ranked fifth in the AP 4A poll, the Blue Devils were an offensive juggernaut, averaging 64 points per game.

Despite the effort from starters Tyler Sprick, Bradley Longcor III, and Keshaun Thomas, the Blue Devils couldn’t match their season scoring, and the Iron and Devils exchanged leads throughout the contest.

The three posted double digits in the hard-fought contest: senior guard Sprick had 10, junior Longcor 11 and center Thomas led Quincy with 12.

Three of Longcor’s points came when they mattered most. Down four, the six-foot-four guard nailed a triple with 44 seconds remaining to pull Quincy within one.

The following play sent Noah Cleveland to the free throw line, where the senior forward made one of two, giving Community a 42-40 advantage.

With 21 seconds remaining, Quincy’s Dom Clay nailed a deep ball that seemed to rattle around the rim for ages before falling, giving his team a 43-42 lead.

“We were disappointed,” Witzig said, “that their three-pointer hit the rim about eight times before it fell in.”

Community failed to respond on the other side.

“Braylon had a good shot going downhill, and it didn’t go in, and then I called a time-out,” Witzig said.

Witzig was hoping for “some kind of deflection or a five-second call,” he said.

But with 4.3 seconds to go and the ball in Quincy’s hands, Roman’s unsuccessful attempt wouldn’t matter.

“Lo and behold, the ball bounce[d] to Jaheem, and he dunked it in,” Witzig said.

Roman and Niko Newsome led Community offensively, combining for 27 of the Ironmen’s 44 points, with Roman contributing seven crucial points in the final minutes.

Looking to Monday’s Elite Eight contest, the Ironmen will aim to avenge January’s 40-35 loss to Downers Grove North. The Ironmen tipoff against the Trojans at 7:30 p.m. at Illinois State University.