Brendan Bradt, a 24-year-old Cohoes native and former point guard for Cohoes High School, hit the biggest shot of his life Saturday afternoon when he drained a half-court shot worth $25,000 in cash from Northeastern Fine Jewelry during the Siena men's basketball game at the Times Union Center.

The shot heard around the Capital Region is quickly making its way across the universe thanks to the video sharing web site, You Tube, and the national sports network, ESPN.

As of Monday morning, the $25,000 jumper had been viewed nearly 3,000 times on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWDrSeh4MPg) where it was uploaded shortly after Bradt launched the money-making shot from several feet behind half-court during a break in the action of the Saints final regular season home game against Northern Iowa.

The viral explosion on You Tube was likely fueled by ESPN featuring the shot as the second best play of the day in its highly popular Top Ten Plays segment seen nationwide during SportsCenter.

The high arching shot in the culmination of the season long Northeastern Fine Jewelry $25,000 Shooting Stars contest hit nothing but net and sent the sell-out crowd into a frenzy.

"When I let it go, I thought it was going to be a little long, but I knew it was on line," said Bradt, who drove in from Boston where he resides to take part in the contest. "The basketball gods were good to me today. Once I saw it swish, I was in shock and just wanted to look around to find my family and friends."

Bradt was immediately embraced in a bear hug on the court by Ray Bleser, president of Northeastern Fine Jewelry and Gregg Kelly, the general manager of Northeastern Fine Jewelry's Albany store.

"This couldn't have happened to a nicer young man," said Bleser. "The minute the ball left his hands, my son-in-law Gregg turned to me and said, `it's going in.' You dream of being able to sign the check for this type of contest, but honestly you're never really sure that moment will ever come."

Northeastern Fine Jewelry sponsored the season long shooting contest which culminated in one shot from half court for $25,000. During each of the Saints' previous 13 home games, one fan was chosen at random to shoot for 45 seconds from various locations on the court. The fan that scored the most points during the season was invited back for a "shot" at the grand prize of $25,000 in cash.

Bradt, who works at a juvenile detention center in Boston, returned to the Capital Region to visit family during the holiday break and attended his only Siena game of the season on January 1. Bradt collected 370 points after he was randomly picked to be that game's contestant. His point total held up as the season high and earned him a shot at the grand prize.

The Capital Region native says he will use the $25,000 windfall to pay off student loans.

Bradt plans to pursue a masters' degree in counseling with the goal of becoming a high school guidance counselor.

Bradt graduated from Cohoes High School in 2002 where he played on the basketball team before attending Hudson Valley Community College. Bradt continued his ball playing career for Hudson Valley during the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

In addition to earning $25,000 cash from Northeastern Fine Jewelry, Bradt won a gift card to the store for $1,000 for qualifying for the final round of the competition. The 370 points he scored earlier in the season corresponds to $370 in additional gift card money for a grand total of $26,370 in cash and gift cards to Northeastern Fine Jewelry.

"We are big proponents of interactive, entertaining contests which add to the fan experience at Siena games," said Siena College Director of Athletics John D'Argenio. "I guarantee that the fans, students, alumni and even our players and coaches will not soon forget this memorable, magical and truly unbelievable moment. Siena College congratulates Brendan for his outstanding and unforgettable achievement."

Northeastern Fine Jewelry is the largest independently owned jeweler in the Capital Region. Northeastern Fine Jewelry is one of the Leading Jewelers of the World®, handpicked for the prestigious designation because of its exacting standards, highly regarded business reputation, charitable and civic involvement, fine quality jewelry and knowledgeable staff. For more information about Northeastern Fine Jewelry, call 518-372-3604 or visit www.nefj.com.