In what’s been called ‘the shot seen around the world,’ Brandon University Bobcats coach Gil Cheung sank a half-court shot on Friday, Feb. 15, to earn BU physical education student Mason Kaluzniak tuition for the semester. The miraculous shot was immediately uploaded to YouTube and went viral. Within a week, the video had over 2.2 million views.

 Media outlets including CTV, CBC, Global, TSN, ESPN, USA Today and CNN have carried the story, many interviewing both Cheung and Kaluzniak.

 “This was a lot of fun for everyone involved,” says Cheung, Bobcats head coach and former player. “I’m just happy I was able to make the shot for Mason.”

 A spectator at Friday’s Bobcats game, Kaluzniak was selected to compete in the final Smitty’s “Shoot-out for Tuition” of the season. He was given the option to either take a half-court shot himself or delegate the shot to anyone else in the building. He chose his former instructor and current BU Bobcats coach Gil Cheung. Cheung had led the Bobcats to a pair of national championship finals as a student and team captain. Interestingly, coach Cheung’s last three-pointer as a player in a Canada West conference game was 10 years ago last week.

“Being a smaller university we get to know our students really well, and in turn get to have a lot of fun with them,” says Cheung. “This was a lot of fun for everyone involved and I’m just happy I was able to make the shot for Mason.”

Video of the shot can be seen at http://youtu.be/mnUEhREh5iQ