Halfcourt shot-maker awarded new car

John Queenan had to wait almost a day for his brand-new car, but the Trumbull resident became an overnight Internet star in the process.

At Monday night's Fairfield men's basketball game against Loyola, Md., at Webster Bank Arena, Queenan, in a promotion run by the Tri-State Chevy dealers, sank a shot from halfcourt to win a 2013 Cruze.

After making the shot, Queenan walked off the court feeling like a winner in front of 1,990 fans that included a delighted Fairfield University president, the Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx.

"I was somewhat stunned at that halfcourt shot," said public address announcer Brian Smith, who told the crowd Queenan would be taking everyone for a ride.

But even Queenan had to wait about 22 hours before he could officially take the car for a spin because an insurance company needed to verify the shot on video.

"My 5-year-old son asked how come we weren't going home in the car," said Queenan, 41, who made the shot while wearing a heavy wool sweater.

A Chevy Cruze is parked in front of the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. An unidentified male fan hit a half-court shot to win the car at halftime during the Fairfield University menâÄôs basketball game Monday night. less A Chevy Cruze is parked in front of the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. An unidentified male fan hit a half-court shot to win the car at halftime during the Fairfield University ... more Photo: Autumn Driscoll Photo: Autumn Driscoll Image 1 of / 6 Caption Close Halfcourt shot-maker awarded new car 1 / 6 Back to Gallery

At issue was whether Queenan had stepped over the halfcourt line -- which ran through and blended into the Stags' logo -- when taking the shot.

"It looks like everything turned out great," Queenan said. "It's a win-win."

During the wait, video of Queenan's basket popped up on YouTube and was debated on Twitter for most of Tuesday afternoon before the dealers decided to give him the car.

"It was the right thing to do," said Leo Karl, the president of Karl Chevrolet in New Canaan, who watched the video several times. "We decided to award him the car regardless of the what the insurance company does."

Queenan's cousin, also named John Queenan and a Trumbull resident, posted the video on his Facebook page with a message.

"My cousin John Queenan who just moved to Trumbull took his kids to the Loyola vs. Fairfield game and won a car with a half-court shot. Pretty awesome." he wrote.

Queenan, who recently moved from Long Island with his wife, Bernadette, and their three sons, was looking for a family night out, so they went to the game.

"My wife went to Loyola and we thought it would be a fun game," he said. "On the way in my son said `hey dad, they are giving away a car,' so I signed up."

Karl, who is on the board of the Tri-State Chevy dealers, did not become aware of the debate about the shot until Tuesday afternoon. At that point, he contacted some of the other board members and they rendered the decision without input from the insurance company.

"We've seen the same tape that everyone else has on YouTube," said Karl, who compared the experience to what NFL referees go through every Sunday and noted the video was inconclusive. "It's a judgment call."

Karl said whenever the dealers sponsor these types of promotions, an insurance company is involved due to the value of the prize.

"It's crazy because we actually supplied the car to the arena," he joked.

Queenan did not find out until after he had celebrated the shot that it might not have counted. He didn't let that stop him from enjoying the rest of the game, or have some fun with it Tuesday with friends and co-workers at his bank job. The St. Catherine of Siena School basketball team, which Queenan coaches and one of his sons plays on, even practiced halfcourt shots later in the day.

"There's enough other things to worry about," he said.

Queenan expects to pick up his new Cruze on Wednesday.

Earlier Tuesday, Fairfield University received several calls about the basket after the video appeared online, but was not able to provide any answers.

Associate athletic director Roy Brown said that at that point, the decision was being left up to the dealership's insurance company.

wpaxton@ctpost.com; http://twitter.com/wspaxton