• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

Thursday, March 19, 1998

Bad officials' call robs Bruins of tournament

WBASKETBALL: Despite replays, NCAA refuses

to reverse results of game

By David Arnold

Daily Bruin Contributor

They suit up in anonymous black and white stripes, they don't play a single minute for either team, and they can't be credited for any points, rebounds or assists, but game officials can win games, and lose games.

All things considered, referees Jack Riordan, Robert Strong and Lolly Saenz could have been the game's MVPs for the Crimson Tide of Alabama on Sunday.

Thus, the UCLA women's basketball team filed a protest to the NCAA about its second-round game against Alabama which the Bruins lost 75-74 under controversial circumstances.

"One of the hardest things I've had to do was go and talk to those 12 players," said UCLA head coach Kathy Olivier. She was, of course, alluding to her team, whose season ended abruptly on Sunday when the officials left the court after allowing a Alabama basket in the final 0.8 seconds of the game.

In a press conference on Monday, the UCLA Associate Athletic Director Betsy Stevenson identified three mistakes the officials made the school believes affected the outcome of the game. These include allowing Crimson Tide guard Brittany Ezell to run along the baseline to make the in-bounds pass for the winning basket. Under NCAA rules this is considered travelling after a timeout and should have resulted in a turnover.

The other mistakes named were a possible delay in starting the clock after that pass, and not using the opportunity to consult video replay.

According to UCLA, the time keeper didn't start the clock when it was tipped off the fingers of Bruin guard Erica Gomez and Alabama's Dominique Canty before it was deflected to the Tide's Latoya Caudle, who made the winning shot.

After that basket the officials left the court, which meant - due to NCAA rules - that the game was over and that the score would stand. There was an opportunity to review a video replay to determine if the clock started on time, but when the officials left it was forfeited.

"I'm not OK with saying that we're not going to the Sweet 16, because this team deserves this," said Olivier.

The NCAA responded to UCLA's protest in a one-and-a-half page faxed letter which stated, "The rules of conduct prevent any governing committee from overturning the game result at this time."

Comments

Post a comment