[Ads-l] Buzzer beater (antedating, 1949)

Bonnie Taylor-Blake 00001a89b77a7850-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Wed Mar 4 20:50:24 UTC 2026


The blooming of early daffodils here in central North Carolina signals that
we're on the cusp of that most wonderful time of year -- March Madness.

In honor of such, here are some early sightings of "buzzer beater." (BTW,
OED has something from December 1965 for its earliest example.)

Also, it's entirely possible that there are earlier appearances on
newspaperarchive.com, but that service has been down for a while.

-- Bonnie

-----------------------------------------

Adolf Shears tossed a buzzer beater to give Haslams the half time edge, 25
to 23.

[In "Haslams Beat Processors," Santa Cruz (California) Sentinel-News, 5
January 1949, p. 2;
https://www.newspapers.com/article/santa-cruz-sentinel-buzzer-beater-151/192654858/
]

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The margin swelled to four points 53-49 by the end of the period after
Donham (1), Harris (2) on free throws, and Cousy, on a buzzer-beater, added
five more points while Jorgenson's layup accounted for the Nats' only
score.

[Joe Looney, "Celtics Beat Nats in Play-off, 87-81," The Boston Herald, 20
March 1953, p. 34; Via Genealogybank.com.]

------------------------------

Attleboro's Bob Gawlick netted seven for the visitors, and his
buzzer-beater knotted the count at 12-all.

[Bruce Saunders, "Weymouth 56, Attleboro 44; Shields, Center Land First,"
Quincy (Massassachusetts) Patriot Ledger, 10 February 1954, p. 17; Via
Geneaologybank.com.]

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