Never let the refs decide the outcome
by dave poe
POSTED: January 28, 2008
PARKERSBURG —If anyone is subjected more to criticism than opinionated sports columnists, it is the referees who adjudicate sports events.
Most of those events take place on one of the participating team’s home courts before a highly-partisan crowd that views their team through rose-colored glasses and the opposing squad as the enemy.
Anyone who was at or even watched on TV West Virginia University’s Saturday night basketball game at the Coliseum against Georgetown will attest to the boisterous pro-WVU crowd.
There was a seat in every seat. And this crowd came to make some noise and create a hostile environment for Georgetown. If every West Virginia basketball game — at least the meaningful ones —could witness the same atmosphere, WVU’s already huge home-court advantage would be even greater.
Saturday night’s game was a classic. West Virginia, a decided underdog, fed off the crowd and kept itself in the game. The halftime score was 25-24 Georgetown and one got the impression this one was going to go down to the wire.
WVU came out smoking in the second half, taking a 10-point lead. Maybe this one wasn’t going to be close. Maybe —for the second time in January —the Mountaineers were going to blow out a top 10 team like they did Marquette on Jan. 6.
But Marquette is no Georgetown. The Hoyas are the best team in the Big East, which means they are a serious contender for the national championship.
Slowly, Georgetown came creeping back. But West Virginia was playing just well enough to maintain a lead. Not until Georgetown’s Jesse Sapp hit a 3-pointer with six seconds to play did the Hoyas go ahead 58-57.
Still, West Virginia had one last chance to win. Da’Sean Butler drove the baseline and put up what looked to be the game-winning shot, but Patrick Ewing Jr. swatted it away.
The West Virginia bench and the 14,048 fans screamed goaltending. But officials Ed Corbett, Ed Hightower and Pat Driscoll ran off the court, with WVU head coach Bob Huggins in hot pursuit.
It was a controversial ending to a great game, but it’s not the first time and it won’t be the last time that takes place.
Anytime the athletes put the game in the hands of the officials, one team is going to be elated and the other highly disappointed.
WVU could have won this game simply by making its free throws, but it made just 12 of 23, compared to Georgetown’s 12 of 15. As a result, it came down to an official’s call and the referees showed WVU and the partisan home crowd no mercy.
It was indeed a close call, one that could have gone either way. While the loss was disappointing, West Virginia showed once again it can play with the nation’s elite teams.
Huggins quickly has proven to be a great hire.
He has taken John Beilein’s players and quickly transformed them into his style of play. I can’t wait to see what happens after Huggins has a few years to bring in his kind of players.
While there’s no such thing as a good loss or a moral victory, WVU needs to bottle up Saturday’s intensity and enthusiasm for the big games that will take place in February.
And don’t go hating on the officials. They made a tough call, which is what they are paid to do.
Contact Dave Poe at dpoe@newsandsentinel.com
