Oklahoma went to Lubbock last night for a Big 12 men’s basketball contest with Texas Tech and lost 65-63 as the Red Raiders held on in the last couple of seconds for their third straight win over a top rated team. The game’s final outcome was decided in the long of it because the Big 12 officials that called the game forgot that the game is not over until the final second clicks off the game clock. Another case of college basketball officiating ineptitude ruining a watchable and entertaining ball game. The outcome of a Tech win is not the issue here, but the quality of the men in stripes in dong a competent job of officiating is. The men that called the game were in fact, incompetent last night, forgetting to call a complete game, swallowing their whistles in the final few seconds. That is not acceptable, and for those that think sour grapes by this writer, as the saying goes, what comes around goes around. Tech fans, you might be next.
There were six official eye balls watching those final seconds, but were they really? On the final play under the basket, Oklahoma big Ryan Spangler is whopped in the head by a Tech player as he tries to put a tip back into the basket. No call, and what in the hell did those Big 12 officials see with those six eye balls? Everyone on the Oklahoma bench saw the “hit”, the two commentators in the ESPN broadcast saw it and remarked on the “wack”, and even my “two” eye balls witnessed the “blow” on my 65′ plasma at home in Oklahoma City. But those officials on the floor in Lubbock, who are responsible to officiate a complete ball game, forty minutes? Forget about it.
I am not over. After the rebound by Tech, a traveling with one second left was not called. A travel that was not in question. Where again were the officials? What were they looking at. Surly not the ball game and the person with the ball. Again, not acceptable. The final travel has been broken down and can be viewed at the following site.
www.sbnation.com/lookit/2016/2/17/11043314/texas-tech-upsets-oklahoma-travel-referees-controversy?ref=yfp
Not to say the outcome would have been different if the officials had been competent last night. But Mark Sandritter of SB Nation summed it up perfectly:
No matter how you break it down, it’s impossible to argue Gotcher didn’t travel. There should have been a whistle and a travel call. That would have given Oklahoma one final desperation heave with just enough time to legally catch and shoot. That is, of course, looking at the play frame-by-frame and not factoring in the human element of the time needed for referees to see and whistle the travel.
Would it have changed the outcome? Barring a miracle no. But, it is a good lesson in not celebrating too early. Just throw the ball as high as you can in the air, THEN run off.
Yes, the human element, as Sandritter mentioned. But I give no quarter. The officials are paid to do a job and last night, on the rebound and what followed, they did not do their job. They sucked.
(Feature photo: Mark Rogers / A-J Media
Texas Tech guard Keenan Evans moves under the basket defended by Oklahoma’s Isiah Cousins and Buddy Hield on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, at the United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock.)
