WATCH: Anthony Leal's Buzzer Beater No. 1 on SportsCenter Top 10 Plays

Indiana guard Anthony Leal banked in a 3-pointer before the first-half buzzer during Thursday's 84-74 win over Rutgers. Watch the highlight and Leal's postgame comments below.

Indiana's Anthony Leal shrugs after making a buzzer beater against Rutgers at Assembly Hall. / Photo via Indiana Athletics

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Anthony Leal garnered national recognition after making one of the most improbable shots in recent Indiana basketball history.

After Rutgers star freshman Ace Bailey blocked Indiana point guard Myles Rice's shot off the backboard, Leal corralled the rebound and hoisted a last-second heave. The high-arcing shot hit off the backboard and fell through the net, giving Indiana a 41-34 lead going into halftime as the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall crowd erupted with cheers.

Leal's shot earned the No. 1 spot on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays segment.

Good stuff in the @SportsCenter Top 10. 🙌@anthonyl3al | #IUBB pic.twitter.com/C3Dmvx76OE

— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) January 3, 2025

“I got nothing for you on that,” Leal said, when asked about how he made the shot. “I saw him shoot it, tried to go get a tip in and it got blocked. I chased it down, peaked at the clock and saw there wasn’t much time, so I kind of just turned around and shot it. Weird things like that seem to happen for me. So I’ll take it. I’d rather be lucky.”

Leal didn't celebrate with much more than a shrug and a smile as teammates swarmed him in excitement going into halftime, knowing there was more work to do.

“Honestly, it was how much are we up?" Leal said, referring to what was going through his mind after making the shot. "We gotta go to halftime and figure some stuff out and try to build that lead and get a win. I’m never really focused on my own success or my own stats or anything, so it’s just cool it went in. It’s cool to celebrate for a second, but then it’s just next play. We gotta make sure we get a win.”

That'll do! 🤷‍♂️@anthonyl3al | #IUBB pic.twitter.com/PDfNHOXHxG

— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) January 3, 2025

Indiana built off Leal's shot to secure an 84-74 win over Rutgers, leading by as many as 18 points Thursday night at Assembly Hall. Here are Leal's full postgame comments on the shot.

Indiana improved to 11-3 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play. Next up, the Hoosiers travel to face Penn State at noon ET Sunday at the Palestra in Philadelphia.

Related stories on Indiana basketball

• INDIANA-RUTGERS GAME STORY: Five Hoosiers scored at least nine points as Indiana resumed Big Ten play with a much-needed win over the Scarlet Knights. CLICK HERE

• WHAT WOODSON SAID: Here's the full transcript of Indiana coach Mike Woodson's press conference following the Hoosiers' 84-74 win over Rutgers Thursday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. CLICK HERE

• BALLO RETURNS, RENEAU INJURED: Indiana center Oumar Ballo missed Sunday's game against Winthrop, but he returned in a big way Thursday, notching a double-double against Rutgers. Power forward Malik Reneau left the game with an apparent knee injury. CLICK HERE