Stephen F. Austin's Nathan Bain entered the national spotlight on Tuesday after his stunning last-second layup led the Lumberjacks to a gigantic upset over No. 1 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Bain was given a postgame interview immediately after the win, and held back tears when he was asked about his family, who is from the Bahamas. Bain's family was impacted by Hurricane Dorian, which swept through the Bahamas and the East Coast in late August and early September and is largely regarded as the worst natural disaster in the history of the Bahamas.
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"I’m trying real hard not to get emotional. You know my family lost a whole lot this year — I'm not gonna cry n TV — my family lost a whole lot this year, and I’m just playing this game for them, you know," Bain said.
Stephen F. Austin's compliance staff has organized an NCAA-compliant GoFundMe page for Bain's family on Sept. 17.
"Not only did the Bain family see nearly everything of value destroyed by Hurricane Dorian, Bain's father — a minister — watched as his church suffered extreme damage from the storm as well," the GoFundMe page reads.
Donations have been piling in for Bain's family after Stephen F. Austin's win went final. As of the time of writing, it had reached $6,611 of its $25,000 goal. Bain, a senior guard, entered Tuesday averaging four points per game for the Lumberjacks. He became a full-time starter last season and logged 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in Tuesday's win over Duke.
"It’s been for my family back home in the Bahamas," Bain said. "I just want to make my country proud, and my whole team is behind me."