Clemson Hosed

[jacone21]

If it was against Duke... the sports world would go supernova.

[bird]

Bad turnover (backcourt violation).

Bad call.

1.5 seconds and passing in deep in the backcourt.

Lost due to bad call, maybe, but the result was "fair." FSU handled end of game better than Clemson.

[phaedrus]

can you summarize what happened at the end? i didn't get to see it. i read that thornton won it with a free throw.

[CMS2478]

Yes, please do......I am work and watched the score on stattracker but would love to know how it ended.

[JBDuke]

can you summarize what happened at the end? i didn't get to see it. i read that thornton won it with a free throw.

Clemson had the ball in the waning seconds of a tie game, but turned it over on a backcourt violation. FSU got the ball to Thornton, being guarded by Mays, and he drove the lane. It looked to me like he stumbled and sort of threw the ball at the hoop. The ref blew his whistle - foul on Mays. Looked to me like Mays didn't even touch Thornton. Regardless, Al goes to the line, makes one of two with only 1.5 secs on the clock. Clemson inbounds the ball deep in the backcourt - just about the FT line. Hamilton took a couple of dribbles and launched a 60 footer that was late and not close. FSU wins 67-66.

I agree with the poster that said that if it was Duke winning in this fashion, it would be a headline story on ESPN, with more idiots arguing about our favorable treatment by refs.

[MulletMan]

FWIW, the guys on Carolina radio (Montross and Woody) said that the foul call was questionable.

[DukeBlood]

Mays didnt even attempt to touch him, Looks as if Thorton slipped. Refs bailed him out by calling a foul.

Sucks for Clemson, May of cost them a shot at the tourny!

[Bob Green]

I woke up and turned on the TV just in time to see the end of the game. Thornton drove, left to right, across the key and took an off balance shot from around the free throw line. A Clemson player blocked the shot but the refs whistle a foul. It was a lame call - no foul IMO. Thorton made 1 of 2 with 1.5 seconds left. Clemson inbounds the ball deep in the backcourt and misses a 75 footer. They should have at least tried to inbound the ball to half-court.

Bob Green
Yokosuka, Japan

[dukelifer]

Not sure of the players as I was watching on a TV with no sound. In the last 30 seconds and the game tied- Clemson had a beautiful block of a jumper and got the ball back. They brought it over half court and a pass bounced off a knee of a Clemson player at midcourt into the backcourt with 8 seconds. FSU got the ball to Thornton at the top of the key. He drove to the free throw line and pulled up for a jumper and although the Clemson defender made minimal contact (likely initiated by Thornton), Thornton went down. Clemson got called for the foul with 1.5 seconds left. Thornton bricked the first one and made the second. Clemson heaved a shot at the end with no chance to go in.

[phaedrus]

sounds like the dwyane wade rule (something about florida teams, maybe). how did clemson possibly get a backcourt violation?

edit: never mind, saw dukelifer's post.

[DankeShane]

Can anyone even remember the last time a ref blew his whistle with a came-deciding FT as time expired? Why didn't we have these refs for the UCONN Final Four game?

[jimsumner]

"Why didn't we have these refs for the UCONN Final Four game?"

The IU game in '02.

[JBDuke]

"Why didn't we have these refs for the UCONN Final Four game?"

The IU game in '02.

Absolutely. Carlos got HAMMERED by one of those Hoosier thugs and the refs totally swallowed the whistle. I was every bit as angry as Matt Christensen, just not as close to the refs.

That's a bit of footage I'd like to have in hand every time some idiot claims that Duke gets all the calls...

[dukemath]

I didn't see the game, but they have a picture of the foul in question on the main page on espn mens basketball.

[JBDuke]

I didn't see the game, but they have a picture of the foul in question on the main page on espn mens basketball.

Wrong. The picture is of a different play in the game. The play in question had Mays between Thornton and the basket. Thornton drove across the lane from left to right, and was NOT driving the basket. He appeared to slip and fall with no contact by Mays.

[phaedrus]

the article says the foul was called on kc rivers. not sure how much sense this makes.

[elvis14]

"Why didn't we have these refs for the UCONN Final Four game?"

The IU game in '02.

After that IU game, I got up off the couch and left the room...leaving thru the back door to my house I slammed the door so hard he blinds (the door has windows) broke. The wife was not happy....Carlos got hammered.

[JBDuke]

I finally saw a replay and I no longer believe that Clemson got hosed. I retract my previous statement.

For those that haven't seen it, while Mays came out to challenge Thornton, Rivers was leading him across the lane. Their feet got tangled, which is why Thornton went down. Foul on Rivers and a good call by the refs. I couldn't see that from the original angle, but the replay showed it from a different perspective, and it was clear that Rivers fouled Thornton.

Clemson did screw themselves by turning it over on the play before. They were passing around the perimeter, and Hammonds went to take a pass near midcourt. He took his eye off the ball and missed it. It hit his leg and bounced towards the mid-court line. He couldn't recover it in time to prevent the backcourt violation.

[riverside6]

JBDuke I completely agree, at first I thought it was a bad call, but Rivers did cause Thornton to go off balance, and is the reason for the foul.

Neither team really executed well in the last 5 minutes, but it was still a great game, and exactly why I took off this afternoon and tomorrow!

[Highlander]

The maddest I have ever been in a basektball game was after Shav got called for his 5th foul in the UConn game in 2004. Shav has his hands straight up in the air, Okafor backs him down, Shav takes a step back then re-establishes his position, Foul on Shav. Ridiculous...

At least in the IU game we played bad enough to allow IU back into the game and to have a shot at the end due to a bad call. Against UConn, the officials called a horribly inconsistent game from start to finish. It was just bad on both sides, and resulted in a disjointed game. I don't know if we would have won if the game was called differently, but that was the worst officiated game I have ever seen.