Schoolboy earns $5555 in 30 seconds at NBL game

By Pete McNae - The Nelson Mail

Harry Fergusson gave it a heave – and it proved a nice little earner.

The 13-year-old Nelson College year 9 student brought the house down at the Trafalgar Centre on Saturday when his sure shooting earned him more than $5000 in just 30 seconds.

Harry's name was drawn to compete in the Fico Finance Easy Money Shoot for Cash at quarter-time in the Nelson Giants' National Basketball League game against Hawke's Bay. He was chatting with friends when his name was called but made it to the court just in time and proceeded to swoop on the sponsor's cash.

He missed his first shot, a 1m warmup worth $5, but made it on the second attempt. The same happened with his free throw, worth $50, before he stepped outside the three-point line and hit the bottom of the net with the $500 shot.

With time running out, he lined up a halfcourt heave worth $5000 and overshot the basket, the ball ending up in the crowd.

"My nerves had gone away by then. I knew I could make that shot so I just lined it up as they called 10 seconds left and let it go," Harry said.

The shot was good and a stunned Harry was greeted by Fico Finance executive director Scott Dodd, who told him he'd just earned $5555.

"I just started jumping around. I didn't get to see the rest of the game because I had heaps of people coming over and asking me to buy them stuff."

Harry is a Nelson age-group rep in basketball, football, cricket and volleyball and said the halfcourt shot was usually just something he practised for fun at the end of training.
"I make one ... every now and then."

The Shoot for Cash had previously only cost Fico Finance $5 a time as contestants made the layup but no other baskets. "Harry's too young to be nervous," Mr Dodd said. "He made some unbelievable shots and it's great that someone won it on the night when there was such a big crowd and the Giants were playing so well."

The jackpot will be restored for subsequent home games but Harry's happy to retire from the role of home game entertainer.

"I've had my turn and this will go straight into the bank account," he said.

"I keep getting told that my under-15 team will want some kind of treat at training on Tuesday but I'll try to save the rest."