Refs Hand Syracuse First-Round Win over UNC-A
[Or Maybe Not...]

[edit: turns out that the lane-violation call was, in fact, by the book, even if weird. I thought there was something odd about that play, but didn't know about the relevant rule.


The out-of-bounds play was, apparently, bad but ended up with basically the right result, as UNCA did foul the Syracuse player.

Just as significant, though, and entirely undiscussed, was the slap-across-the-face foul against Dickie on the layup attempt late in the game. There was no question about that one, and it cost UNCA 2 points and a TO.

College hoops really does need to let officials review plays like these.]


Wow.

That was some really, really terrible officiating. I'm totally neutral in this game--I'm not a UNC-A fan, I've got nothing against Syracuse...but the Bulldogs were absolutely ripped off.

Even with their #1 scorer missing every shot he put up, Asheville was in it up until the end. Then the cavalcade of terrible calls began.  A Syracuse player slapped Dickie right across the face on a layup attempt, causing him to miss--no call. Then there was a phantom lane violation on a Syracuse missed FT, giving them two points. Then a bad call on a tip out of bounds. I missed the bad goal-tending call earlier in the game everybody was talking about.

Jesus. Those were the worst refs I've seen in a long, long time. They made ACC refs look downright competent.

Props to UNC-A. Without terrible officiating, that would have been the 16-over-1 upset that everybody's waited so long for.