NCAA releases statement on controversial end to San Diego State-Creighton game

This year’s NCAA Tournament has been one of the wildest and most unpredictable in college basketball history. However, some things never change. With so many close games, the likelihood of a controversial finish only increases. We saw controversy on Sunday evening, during the finish of the San Diego State–Creighton matchup in the Elite Eight.

Creighton’s Ryan Nembhard was called for a foul on San Diego State’s Darrion Trammel with 1.4 seconds left. That was the first part of controversy. Then, the second part came when Creighton threw a full-court pass in the final seconds, but the ball was tipped near the opposite baseline, before landing out of bounds. Following a review, officials ruled the clock hit zero before the ball touched out of bounds. The NCAA released a statement to try and clear up the officials’ decision-making process on the controversy.

Statement from the NCAA on the final review from Creighton-San Diego State. pic.twitter.com/qm622Lu1iz

— Joel Lorenzi (@jxlorenzi) March 26, 2023

The statement reads: “The officials reviewed the timing of the final play of the San Diego State-Creighton game and determined the clock did not start when it was initially touched on the inbounds pass. The crew used the embedded clock within the DVSport replay system and it was ruled the clock hit zero before the ball touched out of bounds, thus ending the game.”

If you want to see a replay of the full-court heave. You can check out the one below, which clearly shows the clock doesn’t start right when it hit Arop’s hands.

IT'S AZTEC MADNESS AS SAN DIEGO STATE IS HEADED TO HOUSTON!@Aztec_MBB is going to the Final Four for the FIRST TIME in school history 🤩 pic.twitter.com/fmRL39yPLM

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 26, 2023

This was actually an excellent piece of officiating from the crew doing the game. It was clear that following Baylor Scheierman’s full-court heave, the clock did not immediately start when it hit the hands of San Diego State’s Aguek Arop. Initially, it appeared there would be 0.3 seconds left on the clock, but following a review of the play, officials realized the clock wasn’t started right when the basketball hit Arop’s hands. Anybody associated with the Creighton program probably won’t agree with that, but officials did some good work there.

It’s good for the NCAA to release a statement at the end of a controversial finish like that. In real-time watching the game on TV, it was a very confusing finish and a little bit tough to determine how exactly the officials came to that conclusion. In the end, San Diego State’s Darrion Trammell drilled a free throw with 1.2 seconds left to win the game, 57-56. It will undoubtedly go down as the biggest free throw in Aztec basketball history. Hitting a free throw in such a high-level setting is never easy. It only adds even more pressure, when an opportunity to go to the Final Four is on the line. It’ll be an amazing memory that Trammell will be able to carry with him forever.