First, there was one overtime. Followed by a second, a third, a fourth and finally, a fifth.

Buffalo’s 83-75 five-overtime victory over St. Cloud Tech in the Class 4A, Section 8 championship game Thursday was one of those games that transcended simple winning and losing. It had Twitter abuzz and turned casual fans into basketball junkies, if just for one night.

“It was craziness,” said senior forward Collin Olmscheid, Buffalo’s leading scorer on the season. “I don’t think I’ll ever be a part of something like that again. It was the best game I’ve ever been involved in.”

Staff writer Jim Paulsen talked with Olmscheid about the five-overtime mega-battle and getting the chance to follow in older brothers Darrin and Jordan’s sneaker steps and play in the state tournament.

 

Q: That game against St. Cloud Tech was unreal. How did you feel after it?

A: I was pretty tired. I needed a long, soothing ice bath. But it was worth it.

 

Q: Tech started off strong and led by nine at halftime. What changed in the second half?

A: In the first half, I think we were overtaken by nervousness. We were playing timid. At halftime, we realized we had to go out there and just let it loose.

 

Q: At some point, you had to start wondering if it would ever end.

A: By the time the third overtime came and neither team could pull away, I got the mindset that I expected more basketball and I was just going to play and not worry about it.

 

Q: In the fifth overtime, your team took a lead and built on it. What was the feeling when you thought you might pull it out?

A: We all were sprinting up and down the court. We were getting stops and hitting free throws. In the minds of all of us, we were getting pretty excited. I remember thinking “We finally got it.”

 

Q: Buffalo won the state championship in 2007. Both you and [teammate] Sam Ortmann had brothers on the team. What do you remember about that season?

A: I remember me and Sam, just little fifth-graders, going to all the games with our faces painted and acting crazy. We knew everyone on that team. It was a blast.

 

Q: How much did that influence this team?

A: We thought about that, for sure. This is what I’ve always wanted, to have that same experience as them. I’m so happy to finally get [to the state tournament] in our senior year.

 

Q: Have your brothers talked to you about that?

A: Oh, yeah. They both said it was such a great experience, to go down and stay in a hotel with the guys and get to play in front of a big crowd.

 

Q: Game on the line, you have the ball in your hands, time winding down. What are you going to do?

A: If no one’s running out at me, I’m going to take the shot. If there’s a defender with his hand out, I’ll probably pump-fake, take a couple of dribbles and try a nice little runner in the lane.

 

Q: So, who’s the best basketball player in the family?

A: When we all lived together, it was obviously Darrin. He had the size on us. But right now, if it was just me and Darrin, it would be pretty close.

Jim Paulsen