From the life isn’t fair file:
South Dakota State’s Maria Boever made a layup with no time on the clock to give her team a 59-58 win over Minnesota on Sunday. After officials watched a replay of the shot, they changed their ruling to say it didn’t count. But when South Dakota State coach Aaron Johnston protested, the officials re-reviewed the video and counted the basket. State was declared the winner.
Turns out, according to the Women’s Basketball Officiated Consortium, the officials blew it. The score shouldn’t have counted, the panel ruled, because a) the coach shouldn’t have swayed the refs’ decision b) the officials misapplied an NCAA rule that says a field goal attempt must be released before the reading of 00.0 on the game clock. The officials based their decision on the view that the ball had left Boever’s hand before the red LED lights on the backboard flashed on.
Wrong.
So Minnesota should have won. Problem is, the consortium’s ruling isn’t binding. It disciplined the officials, but it can’t reverse the game result after the officials have left the floor.
“Life isn’t fair but this situation is what it is,” Minnesota coach Pam Borton told The Associated Press Wednesday. “We have moved on and have focused all of our energy on our next game. We have an important game at Illinois to prepare for.”