Hawaii basketball player with special needs scores heartwarming buzzer-beater

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for Waialua Senior Ryder Meehan.

And it made the crowd. go. wild.

The 17-year-old with autism made a layup in the final seconds of the Bulldogs’ game against Waianae last week.

Ryder practices every day with the team, but this was the first time he played in a game.

Bulldog’s Coach Neal Miyazaki said it was a great moment to see the camaraderie, even with the other school.

“He’s a great kid. It was pretty awesome,” Miyazaki said. ”And to see the Waianae kids helping them out ... that was really great.”

Although Waianae ended up winning the game, there may be another opportunity for Ryder to get more playing time.

The Waialua Bulldogs have two more games. If they win both, they’ll have the top seed in the playoffs.

In the meantime, Meehan said he’s already getting ready for his next big moment.

“Try to work on my shooting to run more try to keep it and more closer game,” he said.

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