March Madness is starting to finally get chaotic on its fourth day, and while some fans are pumped for the close games, fans in Virginia might have thrown their televisions out the window.
In what was a back-and-forth game between Virginia and the Tennessee Volunteers in the second round of the men’s national college basketball tournament, the Cavaliers fought back from behind late to put the result on a knife-edge.
Although the Volunteers received the majority of the free throw attempts in the second half, the higher-seeded Cavaliers kept pushing back and finding ways to stay in the game.
With the game on the line and in an attempt to tie, a shot bounded off the rim for Virginia before a Tennessee player bonked the loose ball off a teammate’s head that went out of bounds.
But the referees, seeing a Virginia player raise his hands as the ball ricocheted by him, called that it had deflected off him and would be the Volunteers’ ball.
More news: Only 1 Perfect March Madness Bracket Remains — Here’s Who They Picked
More news: March Madness Player Goes Viral for Immediate Postgame Concessions Food Run
While the ball never changed direction, going over the player’s head, it was difficult to tell, even from multiple angles, whether it had touched the Virginia player before going out of bounds.
Since officials can only overturn a call on the floor if there is indisputable evidence to the contrary, the referees confirmed their initial decision and gave the Volunteers the ball, effectively ending the game.
Following the non-reversal, Virginia fans and other college basketball fans took to social media to air their grievances.
While Virginia and its fans will have to lick their wounds looking towards next season, the Volunteers will march on to the Sweet 16, where they’ll face the Iowa State Cyclones for a spot in the Elite 8.
Read the full article here
