‘Priceless moment’: Kids go wild after teacher sinks ‘Hail Mary’ basket from across schoolyard, video shows

Updated: Dec 23, 2021 / 12:56 PM CST

“Ms. Fitz is one of many great teachers at our school and one of our fundamental goals is to have fun because it makes the learning go better,” the school’s principal says. (Holy Trinity School)

(NEXSTAR) – And the crowd goes wild!

A group of third-grade students at Holy Trinity School in Washington, D.C., were treated to hot chocolate after their teacher, former Rutgers University basketball player Kathleen Fitzpatrick, managed to sink a basket from the opposite end of the schoolyard.

“Ms. Fitz threw a Hail Mary and promised all the 3rd graders hot chocolate if she made the shot. Well, God was looking out for her,” the school wrote on Facebook, alongside a video of Fitzpatrick’s impressive basket.

As seen in the clip, the students at Holy Trinity erupt in deafening cheers as soon as “Ms. Fitz” sinks the shot, screaming and jumping for joy. Fitzpatrick, too, can hardly contain her excitement.

Viewers on social media were equally psyched, with some dubbing the teacher a “baller,” or jokingly referring to her as “Stephanie Curry.”

“I watched this now 671 times … What a priceless moment,” one Instagram user wrote.

“Even the introverts posted on the wall ran up [and] cheered,” another noted.

Kathleen Fitzpatrick, aka “Ms. Fitz,” had previously played basketball for Rutgers University. (Holy Trinity School)

Kevin McShane, the principal of Holy Trinity, told Nexstar that the kids and teachers were excited to see the video featured on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” The school has also been flooded with kind messages from folks who saw the video, some of whom have donated money or offered to pay for the hot chocolate. (All donations will be given directly to the Father Horace McKenna Center in D.C., a non-profit that works to feed and shelter people experiencing homelessness, according to McShane.)

McShane also had a few kind words for “Ms. Fitz” and the teachers at Holy Trinity.

“Ms. Fitz is one of many great teachers at our school and one of our fundamental goals is to have fun because it makes the learning go better. This is a great example of that,” he said in a statement shared with Nexstar. “With the pandemic and other challenges, we all need some good news and we are so glad that we could provide a moment of joy for so many people.”