The refs at a New Jersey high school basketball game are suffering backlash after invalidating a buzzer-beating, game-winning basket.
The shady call occurred on Tuesday as Manasquan High School was down by one to Camden as the clock was counting down to the end of the state semifinal game. The boys, though, seemed to make a last-second basket with time still on the clock.
With the game seemingly won, the team erupted in glee.
But things quickly became worrisome for Manasquan as the refs huddled over the buzzer-beating basket. Soon enough, they deemed the game-ending shot came after the clock hit zero, and the game was a win for Camden, not Manasquan.
Refs stunningly reverse call on buzzer-beater, throw New Jersey HS playoff game into chaos https://t.co/oZZXrEq10M pic.twitter.com/MovmN3I0AD
— New York Post (@nypost) March 6, 2024
CRAZY ENDING IN NEW JERSEY ‼️
— Hoop Fiends 🏀💉 (@hoopfiends) March 6, 2024
Camden Wins to go to the Finals 😳👀
But did they win????
Manasquan gets a put back bucket to take back the lead, with clear time on the clock. But the refs overturned the basket! 🙃 pic.twitter.com/lwa6S1S6uJ
After the game, Manasquan head coach Andrew Bilodeau said he was sure that when the shot was made, the clock still had 0.6 seconds left on it. And a video of the game’s final seconds seems to uphold the coach’s view.
“They reversed the call,” Manasquan’s coach said, according to the Asbury Park Press. “The referee in the C position in the middle signaled ‘basket’s good,’ they huddled up, and then 15 kids got screwed in front of 1,000 people. Print that. Print it five times.”
“Those three guys huddled up, and they screwed these kids in front of 1,000 people, and that video will be on the internet for everyone to see,” Bilodeau angrily exclaimed.
This wasn’t even close. Manasquan got robbed! pic.twitter.com/RUogV8jw8K
— Coach Mike Rice (@CoachMikeRice) March 6, 2024
Camden coach Maalik Wayns claimed Tuesday night’s win was “luck.”
But many others felt it was bad officiating, not “luck,” that gave Camden the win.
The trail ref had it correct. I really hope they suspend the ref that decided to waive it off. Manasquan got robbed!!! pic.twitter.com/4y53ZzBT2m
— Coach Mike Rice (@CoachMikeRice) March 6, 2024
For those who haven’t seen, Manasquan (NJ) got absolutely screwed tonight. That’s a tough way to go down. https://t.co/21ywF9JquB
— Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) March 6, 2024
Did the refs even watch the video? How did they make that decision? You can see the shot go in and then look back at the clock and see it hit zero. Clearly the shot left his hand before the clock ran out, but also, the buzzer was even after the first cheer. How!?!?
— Shuaiyb Newton, Esq. (@ThyCoffeeGuy) March 6, 2024
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