The talented Franklin Bulls point guard stuck a fade-away shot in literally the last split second of the game to secure a tense 94-93 win against the Otago Nuggets.
He earned that moment.
The American dragged his side back into the game with a stunning 11-point final quarter.
The final shot was tough. He was pushed wide but found the middle of the hoop to silence the crowd.
He finished the game with a game-high 28 points.
Kael Robinson put in a strong performance. He added 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Jace Carter netted a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds.
The Nuggets will be fuming. They were in control for the majority of the match.
They had six players get into double figures and took a seven-point lead into the final quarter.
The Nuggets were missing key forward Isaac Miller-Jose, who was on leave to attend a wedding.
He will return for tomorrow’s match against the Wellington Saints.
Guard Tyson Thata-Paese started in his absence and banged in 10 points in a terrific opening quarter.
The Nuggets were missing some size, though, and Carter asserted himself, cutting to the hoop and slamming in a vicious dunk.
Dominique Kelman-Poto barged his way to the rim for a bucket.
It was not particularly subtle, but it was effective for the visitors.
Thata-Paese managed to wriggle free at the other end and netted an open lay-up.
He also connected with back-to-back triples and a late lay-up to give the Nuggets a useful 27-22 lead at the break.
The Nuggets went on a 12-4 scoring run to stretch the lead to 13.
The Bulls’ porous defence gifted the Nuggets some cheap points.
But the visitors can score and they clawed their way back with a series of baskets inside the paint.
Matthew Bardsley slipped several players and finished with a lay-up, but Robinson landed a triple to help restrict the lead to 52-47 at halftime.
Derrin Boyd sprang into action at the start of the third quarter with back-to-back buckets.
The Bulls chipped away at the lead and trailed by three midway through the period.
Ethan Rusbatch knocked down an important three-pointer and Craig Moller nabbed an offensive rebound and finished with a lay-up to rebuild the buffer.
Whitt rolled in a hooked shot and added a free throw for the visitors.
It was basketball befitting of two teams desperate to post the win and get a little closer to securing a playoff spot.
The Nuggets led 74-67 with 10 minutes to play.
Rusbatch struck from the corner for three early in the final period to help ease some nerves.
Moller converted from distance as well.
But Whitt was keeping his side in the contest. He scored the next nine points for the Bulls and set the stage for his heroics.
The Nuggets beat the Bulls 38-33 in the Rapid League game.
NBL
The scores
Franklin Bulls 94
(Carter Whitt 28, Kael Robinson 17)
Otago Nuggets 93
(Craig Moller 16, Tyson Thata-Paese 15)
Quarter scores: 22-27, 47-52, 67-74, 94-93
