When a basketball team enters the final month of the season, it routinely relies on its senior leaders to get through the toughest stretch of the year.

But the 2009-10 South Alabama men’s basketball team was forced to go without its leader when Bryan Sherrer suffered a knee injury on Feb. 11.

Described by head coach Ronnie Arrow as “the kind of player that any coach wants, on and off the court,” Sherrer was the glue that held the team together. With Sherrer out of the lineup, USA went 2-2 but suffered two blowout losses away from home.

The Sun Belt Tournament in Hot Springs, Ark. meant another game on the road, but the Jags were prepared this time, knowing Sherrer would make his return after missing almost a month of action.

Sherrer made the most of his first game back, hitting the game-winning shot with five seconds left to give the Jaguars a 52-51 first-round tournament win over Florida Atlantic.

“I was pretty confident going in,” said Sherrer. “I was a little hesitant with my knee because I didn’t know how it was going to play out. I was nervous early but as the game went on I was more comfortable with it and was able to have a good game.”

With most lower-body injuries, the athlete must not only overcome the physical aspect, but the mental side as well.

“Any time you have a significant injury, there's a large mental obstacle to overcome when returning to play,” said USA assistant athletic trainer Matthew Brown. “The physical part is obviously hard when it comes to rehab, but the mental aspect is the hardest.  When a high-level athlete has an injury that keeps them out for a while, their mind starts to wonder when, or if, they will return to play.”

“I was one play away from messing it up even more,” said Sherrer. “It wasn’t that stable and I wasn’t confident in it but I was able to block it out as the game went on and play as if it were full strength.”

Sherrer, who started 30 straight games prior to getting injured, was forced to come off the bench for the first time in over a year.

“It was an adjustment (coming off the bench),” he said. “I had to get warmed up then sit back down on the bench and wait to come in. But it was something I expected—we had talked about it so I knew I was prepared to come off the bench anyway.”

Florida Atlantic scored just 19 points in the opening 20 minutes and was down 14 points midway through the second half before rallying with a 15-4 run to pull within three. The Owls later reeled off eight straight points over a five-minute span to take a one-point lead with 26 seconds left, setting up the Jaguars’ final possession.

Two fouls from FAU’s Raymond Taylor gave USA the ball underneath the basket with 15 seconds left.

“We had a set play but they pressured the in-bounds pass really hard and we threw it in the backcourt and it became a broken play,” said Sherrer. “I looked up at the clock and I felt like we just had to get the best shot we could. I got a good shot and it went in.”

Sherrer drove the right side of the lane and hit a fall-away jumper with 5.0 seconds on the clock. FAU had two chances before the final buzzer but they both missed, including a tip-in attempt as time expired.

The win put South Alabama in the Sun Belt quarterfinals for the fifth straight year and Sherrer and his teammates would play another day.

“I had several family members and friends there that were able to watch,” he said. “It made the win a lot sweeter.”

Sherrer not only hit the game-winning shot but tied his career high with 21 points. He made eight of his 11 shot attempts, went 3-for-4 from 3-point territory, and dished out three assists.

“I was very happy,” said Sherrer. “Emotions were high for me since it was my first game back. I played a lot better than I thought I would coming off the injury.”

Sherrer had surgery after the season and is currently rehabbing the injured knee. He is enrolled in classes and is scheduled to graduate in May 2011.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—