It's fourth period and the home team is down by two. One team member throws the ball inbound to his teammate who immediately begins to dribble the ball down the court, twisting and turning, driving through the opponents. Time is running out for the hometown heroes as they work together for one last shot. Suddenly, one teammate spots another teammate standing alone like a freedom fighter waiting for a miracle. He passes the ball and the teammate squares up and fires one toward the basket.
Time stands still as silence overtakes the arena.
Finally, after what seems like minutes, the ball swishes through the net. A sigh escapes and tears flow as the ball bounces to the floor. The heroes have come through for one more victory. This is not a story about the NBA or some Hollywood movie stars. This is a story about the men's and women's wheelchair basketball teams at the University of Illinois.