Danielle Lerner

@Danielle_Lerner

Due to a technicality, the student who made a half-court shot at a recent Louisville women's basketball game won't actually walk away with the prize money.

Jackson Logsdon, 20, participated in a halftime contest during the U of L women's basketball game Thursday at the KFC Yum! Center. He took and made a layup, free throw, 3-pointer and a half-court shot, which should have netted him $38,000.

But Logsdon said he found out later that night that he wouldn't get the money because he had played basketball in high school, which violated a clause stating contest participants could not have played high school basketball within the last six years.

"It is a huge bummer as I am an out-of-state student," Logsdon told the Courier-Journal in an email Friday. "It would have went a long way to paying off student loans and anything in that manner. It was still an awesome experience and something I'll never forget. Very bittersweet though."

U of L athletics spokesman Ira Green confirmed the details in an email Friday, writing, "The contest was administered by Million Dollar Media, and unfortunately, the student didn’t meet a couple of the stipulations, which are very specific. However, we are excited for him and are working on some items, so he doesn’t go away empty handed."

Logsdon, a sophomore at U of L, said he played basketball for three years in high school and mostly came off the bench his senior year. Thursday was his first time participating in a half-court shot contest.

"When the shot left my hands I knew it had a chance and when it went in I can't explain the excitement and thrill I felt," he said. "It was a total out of body experience that I'll remember forever."

Reporter Danielle Lerner can be reached at dlerner@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4042.