A valid question amid OU's heartbreak
Published: 2/16/2011 11:11 PM
Last Modified: 2/16/2011 11:11 PM
Interesting exchange after Nebraska's 59-58 escape of Oklahoma Wednesday night at the Lloyd Noble Center.
No Sooners who spoke to reporters afterward – meaning Jeff Capel, Cade Davis and Andrew Fitzgerald – questioned the officials' decision to award Davis 2 for what originally appeared to be a game-tying 3 with 3 seconds left in regulation. It was futile to do so, given that replay clearly showed Davis' right foot touching the 3-point line.
Still, Oklahoma City TV/radio personality Toby Rowland raised a worthy point to Capel: "Should there be some kind of rule revisitation there about when you check the (replay)? Everybody on the court looked confused."
The Huskers were so certain Davis' shot was a 3 that they inbounded and hurried the ball upcourt for a running heave at the buzzer, a shot that Lance Jeter back-ironed to set up what appeared to be overtime.
In the process, none of the Sooners thought to foul and put a Husker on the free throw line. They thought Davis' 3 had tied the score. Fouling under that circumstance was the last thing they wanted to do.
But had officials Tom Eades, Randy Heimerman and Bert Smith gone to the replay immediately following Davis' shot...
"I've never thought about it. That's a really good question," Capel said to Rowland. "It would help. It certainly would help. But with how fast the game is, I don't know if that could happen. But it definitely would help."
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
