DURHAM, N.C. — The biggest winner in the aftermath of Stephen F. Austin’s shocking upset of No. 1 Duke might be the fundraising effort for the family of the player who hit the game-winning layup.
A thankful Nathan Bain was still in “disbelief” Wednesday — about the contributions more than his clutch basket.
Since the end of the game, the two-month-old GoFundMe page set up to help Bain’s family in the Bahamas rebuild from Hurricane Dorian damage had raised $88,281 and counting shortly after 7 p.m. EST Wednesday. It’s a massive spike from the roughly $2,000 it had raised before Tuesday night’s stunning result became the talk of college basketball.
To put that number in perspective, the fundraiser generated more in donations in less than 24 hours after the game than Stephen F. Austin pocketed from Duke for coming to Cameron Indoor Stadium and playing the game in the first place. SFA’s guarantee from the game was $85,000, a school spokesman said.
Bain said Wednesday the donation totals had “skyrocketed” when he checked the website several times after the game.
“I was just in disbelief at what basketball had done for my family,” the 6-foot-6, fifth-year senior guard told the Associated Press by phone. “It was truly a blessing.”
The initial fundraising goal of $25,000 was increased to $50,000 — only to have it, too, surpassed by early in the afternoon. See BAHAMAS CHRONICLE at http://www.startribune.com/gofundme-donations-spike-for-sfa-player-after-upset-of-duke/565533222/
