Controversial last-minute call helps Cinderella team to huge upset win
It didn’t take long for the second day of the NCAA basketball tournament to provide perhaps its biggest upset.
Marshall, the No. 13 seed in the East, defeated No. 4 seed Wichita State, 81-75.
It was Marshall’s first win in the NCAA tournament since 1987.
HERD THAT!!!
(13) Marshall delivers a massive USPET of (4) Wichita State, 81-75! #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/FozfVTThEl
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 16, 2018
But the game was not without controversy.
With Marshall leading 78-75 and less than 40 seconds to play, Marshall’s Jannson Williams went up for a shot under the basket. The shot was blocked from behind by Wichita State’s Zach Brown.
In the scramble for the rebound, Williams appeared to have knocked the ball out of bounds, which would have given it back to Wichita State with a chance to potentially tie the game on the next possession.
But after a lengthy video review, the officials ruled the ball was knocked out of Williams’ hands by Brown. That gave possession back to Marshall.
https://twitter.com/Jesse__Foster/status/974732193405849601
And on the ensuing play, the Thundering Herd ran a perfectly executed inbounds play, with Rondale Watson hitting a cutting Ajdin Penava for an easy slam dunk, and Marshall hung on for an 81-75 win.
BLOB slip by Marshall to put them up 5 with under a minute to go #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/h9jDyUzh0m
— John Zall (@John_Zall) March 16, 2018
Needless to say, the call regarding the ball that was tipped out of bounds and awarded to Marshall had Twitter users — at least those who were not Marshall fans — up in arms.
Oh, man…. this Wichita State/Marshall game might be enough to do away with reviews.
— Rick Broering (@RickBroering) March 16, 2018
Replay at the end of Wichita State-Marshall…a fiasco. Sound effect: air out of a balloon.
— Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) March 16, 2018
Wichita State just got so screwed. The ball was out on Marshall and the replay showed it a dozen times. Wow.
— Jay Williams (@RealJayWilliams) March 16, 2018
Marshall becomes the second No. 13 seed to win in the opening round of this year’s tournament, after Buffalo defeated No. 4 seed Arizona on Thursday.
Marshall will next play on Sunday against the winner of Friday afternoon’s game between No. 5 seed West Virginia and No. 12 seed Murray State.
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