Butler at Evansville

[bbtds]

Andrew Smith just caught a 3/4 court pass from under the Evansville basket and laid it in for the field goal with 0.9 seconds left to lift Butler to a 71-69 win over the Purple Aces in Evansville's new Ford Center. It was another what almost seems typical of a lot of Butler teams "right-down-to-the-wire-finish." What an exciting game!

Butler always seems to find a way to win all these last second shot games. Except of course when Gordon Hayward missed that final shot against Duke in the National Championship game 1 1/2 years ago.

[motowntitan]

??

ESPN says Evansville wins in OT

[hckjag]

I believe the refs reviewed the play and said Smith didn't get the shot off in time and/or they called a foul. Either way Smith wound up shooting two free throws but missed both and it went to OT. And yes Butler then lost in OT.

[bbtds]

It turns out Smith was fouled on the last play after the refs reviewed the replay and said the shot did not get off in time and Smith missed both FT's. The game went to OT where the Purple Aces pulled out the win. My bad for posting too early.

It did look like Smith got fouled on the final play of regulation but why did the refs have to see the replay to make the call. Now NCAA refs are getting too scared to make a call until they see the replay. Just like NFL refs. Just make the call like you used to and the game is over if that is the call. What a sham these refs are.

[sectionee]

Maybe they were checking to see if there was time left when the foul occurred?

[zvillehaze]

Tough game today for Butler.  I would explain what happened at the end of the game, but I still can't quite figure out what the officials called.  In any case, Butler played well enough to win and just didn't make the plays they had to when they had the chance (including Smith's free throws at the end of regulation). 

On a positive note, both Smith and Hopkins showed flashes of being very good.  But both turned it over too much and that needs to be eliminated. 

Stevens was upset throughout with the officiating ... Butler has never had good experience with MVC crews.  The most blatent and inexplicable no call came in OT when UE's Colt Ryan stripped the ball from Smith under the basket and layed the ball in to put UE up 3 ... he clearly had not one, but BOTH feet out of bounds and the ref standing 10 feet away called nothing.  I may be biased, but here's the picture right after he's knocked the ball out of Smith's hands ... you make the call!   

[historyman]

Colt Ryan is definitely out of bounds on that play and should have been whistled for being out of bounds before the basket was counted. It does seem that the calls almost always go against the visiting team whenever Evansville plays at home. Wasn't it a couple of years ago where Homer almost had to pull one of his famous running to center court to get a technical called on himself to make a point about the refs calls in Evansville?

[valpotx]

Yes, we have had the same experiences over the last decade against MVC teams.  Their refs always look out for them.....

[valpofan56]

Didn't Homer vow that we would never play at Evansville ever again?

[StlVUFan]

zville, I was going to add my words of sympathy, but a couple of folks beat me to it already.  Either last year or the year before last, our home win against them was extra sweet.  I forget when it was that we played down there, but Bryce ended up coaching the final 30 seconds or something because I think Homer got tossed.  I wish you guys had been able to bury them in their own place.