Controversial finish mars Michigan State near-upset
Michigan State's Kalin Lucas
Make all the jokes you want about New Mexico State’s coach being named Marvin Menzies, but the man had good reason to act a little crazy following his team’s loss to 5th-seed Michigan State.
Having come back from a double-digit deficit, the Aggies were down just one with 18 seconds left after big man Troy Gillenwater hit a three-pointer. MSU’s Raymar Morgan was sent to the foul line, and after making the first, he missed the second. New Mexico State rebounded and went to set up a potential game-winner, but there was a whistle: Lane violation. And worse than that, the guy who the refs pointed at for the violation, Gillenwater, wasn’t even the guy who actually committed the violation. Even still, as the announcers pointed out, you rarely ever make that call in that situation anyway.
Given another chance, Morgan made the free throw, and now the Aggies had to take a three to tie it. They got a couple looks, but bricked both. Michigan State knocked the ball out of bounds with what appeared to be about 0.6 on the clock, but the refs only gave New Mexico State 0.3 to work with. Menzies was pissed about that, too. After a doomed inbound pass, the Spartans escaped with the W, and Menzies had to be held back from going after the refs. As the CBS feed prepared to cut to the next game, one announcer said, “We haven’t heard the end of this,” alluding to Menzies’ post-game press conference.
* New Mexico State’s Jahmar Young might as well be Nick Young‘s stunt double. He’s got the same skinny build, the same lazy-looking style that still produces major buckets, and just like Nick Young rocked the mohawk very effectively during its most recent resurgence, Jahmar Young has made the flattop work for him.
* Georgia Tech pulled out a win over Oklahoma State in what was probably the best-played game of the day so far. OK State star James Anderson was held to 11 points (3-12 FG), but his team still hung in there right until the end. Keiton Page hit a three to make it a one-point game with 1:40 left (announcer: “He may look like Ollie from the movie Hoosiers, but he’s got legitimate game!”), but the Cowboys couldn’t get over the hump. Down by three in the final seconds, Anderson went to the rack and ran into a brick wall before getting stripped. After two more FT’s made it a five-point game, OK State then wasted way too much time looking for a three and the clock ran out on them.
* Is it bad that the term “fouled in the act” makes me think of the TV show Cheaters more than it makes me think of basketball?
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March 19th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
K Dizzle says:
Rough way to go out.
Watchin Maryland-Houston and just saw on the ticker that the Spurs have 147 points and the game’s still on. WTF?!?
March 20th, 2010 at 1:15 am
Willis says:
Brandon Jennings probably gets noticed in smack tomorrow, but make sure you call out the AWFUL officiating. No call on a blatant travel leads to a Salmons 3 which gives the Deer the momentum. I hate the NBA sometimes.
March 20th, 2010 at 2:03 am
larry brown says:
JAHMAR YOUNG; please take that comment as an compliment, about comparing you to NICK YOUNG. you guy’s style is not lazy, your style is smooth, and you both are great basketball player.
March 20th, 2010 at 2:34 am
Mike says:
Everybody is overreacting about the lane violation-it’s not like it was the point that put MSU ahead, they were already up two. You can argue NMSU would have tried something different if they were only down two, but when it comes down to it, it doesn’t make any difference since they still got a couple looks off before the buzzer went off. And give me a break with the 0.6 and 0.3 seconds-they didn’t even throw a clean inbounds pass in-it was intercepted by Draymond Green. Nice effort to make it a game in the 2nd half, but State won this game-not the refs.
March 20th, 2010 at 2:44 am
Austin Burton says:
Mike, I have to disagree all the way around. With the lane violation, that call changed everything. Being down by two and down by three in that situation is a huge difference; NM State would’ve had a lot more options if they were only down two, and Michigan State’s defense would’ve had more to prepare for. Instead, because Morgan got the extra shot and made it, everybody knew NM State had to take a three-pointer.
With the 0.3 versus 0.6, yes the inbound did get picked off, but if NM State had that little bit more time to catch-and-shoot, who knows what play they would have run. The Spartans won the game, but the refs helped.
March 20th, 2010 at 8:31 am
Jay says:
Mike, I’m guessing you haven’t played ball competively. If you do, I apologize, but you should know better.
There’s a HUGE difference between being down 2 and being down 3. Austin Burton sums it up. Everyone knew a 3 point shot was coming from the shooters on the floor. If they were down 2, everyone is a threat. Who knows? An offensive rebound could have resulted in a putback, instead of having to clear it out for the 3 again.
March 20th, 2010 at 11:22 am
Ty Webb says:
Thanks, Austin, for noting the poor call at the end of that game. I’m an NMSU alum, so admittedly biased, but I can’t see why that call gets made at that stage of the game. The crowd reaction at the final whistle was very telling – a loud chorus of “boos” to let the refs know that we all would have preferred to see the players decide the outcome.
We’ll be back!!
March 20th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Pais says:
@Mike, Wow…you are incredibly wrong on both points. In fact what you have written is complete nonsense in any level of basketball.
March 20th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Whinny Little Bitches says:
Wow Austin. You sound like a whinny little bitch. Whole lot of sour grapes. New Mexico State sucks balls, and so do you. Eat a big bag of dicks, loser.
March 20th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
hahns says:
lol mike got shouted down pretty hard. but yeah- he dont make sense.
horrible call.
March 20th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Austin Burton says:
If NM State sucks balls and Michigan State only beat them by three …