USA Today: A terrible call ruined a perfect ending to Iowa and UConn's Final Four matchup and fans are livid | Page 3 | The Boneyard

USA Today: A terrible call ruined a perfect ending to Iowa and UConn's Final Four matchup and fans are livid

Superhuskies said:
UC was STILL down one, and STILL had to score to tie/take lead, if that call hadn't made..and Iowa may have STILL had some time for a last shot IF we scored...
That one apparently correct, call, to me, right in front of that WNBA ref- she looked like a blocking NFL lineman on the replay, even if it had been wrong, didn't cost them the game--(but I do admit that almost all screens are "moving," somewhat )--
What did was too many horrible turnovers, not enough Paige shots, especially in 4th quarter, very few/no down low shots by our big Aliyah, who took 15-16-17 ft jumpers instead, ...and bad coaching (?),...
They beat themselves-- gave the game away, I think, especially with Killer Kaitlin being mostly not very good....
Of course, the Iowa D may deserve credit, too--..I'll check the DVR 14 times to check-- Just a casual fan, here !!
Also the very underrated Miss Martin was awesome- good for her- the offensive MVP.....BUT GOOD LUCK SUNDAY, HAWKEYES !!! SQUAWK !! SQUAWK !!
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I know when (I daydream about my team winning a championship, and watching the tv play the "One Magic Moment" montage, I envision my team down 1 with 10 seconds left and the ball getting into the hands of one of the clutchest players ever. The stud player who everyone knows is getting the ball comes off the screen, pivots and let's fly a shot that we hope goes in, but may not. That is letting the players decide the game. No one thinks that a referee who subconciously has already made the decision they are going to insert themselves into the game and blow the whistle to make a call that takes the players completely out of the equation. The ref made the game completely about him.
 
Was it an illegal screen by AE? yes, it was (she was moving). at the same time you can't call this as a foul if you didn't call similar instances on Iowa the whole game and to do it, stinks and makes you think that the NCAA who wants/need Clark to be in the Final (rating), expressed it to the ref/s before the game.
 
Superhuskies said:
UC was STILL down one, and STILL had to score to tie/take lead, if that call hadn't made..and Iowa may have STILL had some time for a last shot IF we scored...
That one apparently correct, call, to me, right in front of that WNBA ref- she looked like a blocking NFL lineman on the replay, even if it had been wrong, didn't cost them the game--(but I do admit that almost all screens are "moving," somewhat )--
What did was too many horrible turnovers, not enough Paige shots, especially in 4th quarter, very few/no down low shots by our big Aliyah, who took 15-16-17 ft jumpers instead, ...and bad coaching (?),...
They beat themselves-- gave the game away, I think, especially with Killer Kaitlin being mostly not very good....
Of course, the Iowa D may deserve credit, too--..I'll check the DVR 14 times to check-- Just a casual fan, here !!
Also the very underrated Miss Martin was awesome- good for her- the offensive MVP.....BUT GOOD LUCK SUNDAY, HAWKEYES !!! SQUAWK !! SQUAWK !!
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But still it was an incorrect call. If all screesn are moving then why is THAT call being made AT THAT MOMENT? And the call was made with 3 seconds left, wasnt it? And Paige was at the 3pt line? How much time would Iowa have if the shot went in?
 
oldude said:
A few years ago in the Elite 8 game between Baylor and UConn, Dijonai Carrington attacked the basket late in a close game with UConn ahead. Liv went up to contest the shot. There was some minimal contact, but the refs did not blow the whistle.

Of course, Kim and Baylor’s fans were livid at the non-call. But clearly, at that point in the game, the refs did not want to determine the outcome. That was the right thing to do then. It also would have been the right thing to do last night.
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I thought back to that game as well in reference to last night, and truthfully, I thought the non-call on Liv during the Baylor game was more an egregious non-call than Edward's call last night. I mean Edwards extended her elbow fairly noticeably and it gave UConn a competitive advantage on the play...

As Paige stated, it shouldn't have come down to this singular play--UConn had numerous opportunities to put this game away instead just played lackluster and uninspiring ball, and made incredibly stupid decisions down the stretch to give the game away.

Which is unfortunate because Nika played the game of her life--it was an absolute defensive gem that she displayed last night.
 
Martin said:
Blame Geno. He could have just inbounded the ball to Paige and let her try to win it instead. Too much can go wrong trying to get a play set up for her. And they never got a shot off.
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While I'm not blaming Geno, I thought the same thing as the play unfolded: With 3 seconds left, just go directly to Paige and let her improvise--she is best in the women's game at that...
 
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omshanti said:
Watch a video of CC pushing KK to get her shot off. The whistle was swallowed there. So what is the difference? You can’t have it both ways
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This is the thing thaat bothers me most, not that Edwards call wasn't appropriate but the imbalance of the calls: Clark as she got frustrated with Nika's smothering defense, was pushing, shoving, doing extended arm bars to free herself, and nothing was called...
 
TN-Gamecock said:
You have to look at the totality of the game. There were calls that went both ways. It happens. If you want the game bad enough, you beat the opponent by 20 points not lose by 1 or 2 points then complain about the refs. C'mon UCONN fans, you're better than this.
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Noo - you do NOT have to took at the totalitiy of the game all the time. No one does that that is watching. Otherwise why ever comment on a great shot? Or a great steal if all that matters is the totality? If you can say "great shot" or "great steal" or "great pass" -- then why can't you say "awful call?"

IMO the point isn't that the refs cost UCONN the game. The call cost UCONN an opportunity -- for that one play. Was it the right call? IMO and others - it wasn't. This one call has little to do with the rest of the game-- bu tinstead- just that partciular call forthat 1 play is what the issue is with many of us just like when we remark on a great shot etc.

When you say "we're better than this--"imo you are just using mssive rationalization to justifiy a call. If it were just UConn fans then you'd have a point. But it isn't. SO you are saying the others need to be better too? It was the last shot. Aren't player and teams sometimes defined how well they play late? That's also a common comment. SO your point of totality of the game is off-base.
 
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Conndog said:
It was a very quick whistle, too- hmmm
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Yes one the ref seemed excited to call as well.


Iowa state also did some acting/pandering to refs - like Clark’s falling down and pretending she was fouled on that important 3 point shot that turned the tide of the game.

Honestly, Iowa State played the reffing crew - kinda made them look like fools which culminated the last call - which again, was acting 101.
 
TN-Gamecock said:
You have to look at the totality of the game. There were calls that went both ways. It happens. If you want the game bad enough, you beat the opponent by 20 points not lose by 1 or 2 points then complain about the refs. C'mon UCONN fans, you're better than this.
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You must be blind, 18 fouls to 9 fouls is not fouls being called both ways, 10 out of 14 free throws made vs 3 out of 4. Twice CC pushed off and there were no fouls called, she made both shots by the way.
 
It wasn't a bad call - but it wasn't the right call for that moment of this game with that score. It was definitely a moving screen, but was it any more obvious or egregious than the other 20 that preceded it that we NOT called?

Paige summed it up best - one play didn't lose the game. It didn't need to come down to this, but unfortunately it did.
 
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Glad to see viewers of the Men's tournament are aware of a moving pick and whether/when it might be called...

 
There are multiple issues at play here with only one being if this was a foul. It can be excused in real time, depending on the from where it was viewed, to think this constituted a sight bit of movement. Like the woman annouceer statee " Edwards did lean into her slightly.". My inital viewing I noticeed that she appeared to slide across the foor with both feet from one vantage point. However from a vantage point from the front closer to the court ( from where the offical made his call ) it was obvious that her feet were still moving after contact and somewhat after. I was not even considering how wide apart her legs were spread. Put to gether this is about as bad of a blocking foul as I have ever seen. After seeing this and the other video there should be no doubt.
 
boontonbomber said:
Paige showed how to lose gracefully in the post game press conference, something that is beyond many of the posters here. The slow-mo video clearly shows Aaliyah moving. The fact that the ref saw it and called it is, to me, a sign that the officials are not nearly as bad as fans make them out to be. I see it as a gutsy call. It was a great tourney run by an undermanned UConn team, one of the best in the 30 year I've followed them. Accepting loss as part of the game is very hard for many here.
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Yes, the official made a great call. It was the right call. Where does the idea that the whistle should be swallowed at the end of games. Why should an official decide when to make fouls calls and when not. A non call impacts the game as much as a call does. Should the official swallow the whistle if Paige would have been fouled on her last shot had the call on Edwards not been made. Whats the difference? I have seen officials ignore an obvious shooting foul on a defender at the end of games just because they are intimidated into not making a call that might turn out to be wrong.

As too the Uconn fans being better than that, while the once definately were, now it questionable. Its easly to be objective while winning. The real test comes when the outcome does not go your way. This type of response even after seeing the slow mo replay does not reflect well on what I suspect is the rest of the UConn fans
 
tchalla1 said:
While I'm not blaming Geno, I thought the same thing as the play unfolded: With 3 seconds left, just go directly to Paige and let her improvise--she is best in the women's game at that...
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I believe Geno believed his AA senior player knew how to set a legal screen. The ball going directly to Paige would have been hard as Iowa would double her and cause her to pass it. Not enough time. The play would have worked had Edwards executed it correctly. However, there was no guarantee Paige would have made the shot.
 
willtalk said:
Yes, the official made a great call. It was the right call. Where does the idea that the whistle should be swallowed at the end of games. Why should an official decide when to make fouls calls and when not. A non call impacts the game as much as a call does. Should the official swallow the whistle if Paige would have been fouled on her last shot had the call on Edwards not been made. Whats the difference? I have seen officials ignore an obvious shooting foul on a defender at the end of games just because they are intimidated into not making a call that might turn out to be wrong.

As too the Uconn fans being better than that, while the once definately were, now it questionable. Its easly to be objective while winning. The real test comes when the outcome does not go your way. This type of response even after seeing the slow mo replay does not reflect well on what I suspect is the rest of the UConn fans
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Mr Rogers Clown GIF
 
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1: Not unlike holding in the NFL, offensive fouls may be called on most every screen at the college and pro-level, men's or women's. That much is indisputable. This particular screen, slow-motion, frame-by-frame, whatever, was actually not that far off, if at all, from all the rest. As Taurasi remarked (words to the effect of), "It didn't even get her free."

2: Those who've played the game, college, pro, men, women (LeBron, Kelsey Plum, et al.) saw it the same: horrible call.

3: This occurred on what may well have been the winning play in the national semi-finals, sending one team or the other to the national championship game.

4: The call deprived the largest viewing audience in the history women's college basketball from a potential last second(s) shot from one of the two most visible single players in the country, following a turnover by the other most visible single player in the country.

5: Instead, the largest viewing audience in the history women's college basketball was left with a massive controversy.

For me, seems clear, those who come away from that game thinking it was anything other than a terrible moment from an official clearly not up to the level of the game, either has an agenda or is a troll.

For me, that official - making that call with such glee - should never again ref a game at any level.
 
Pmac923 said:
STILL an awful call and STILL should’ve been an afforded the shot to win the game. DVR the entirety of the game and you’ll see 18 to 9 in fouls and push offs to score baskets. Could we have played better? Maybe. The whistle was one sided and definitely impacted the gutsy Huskies.
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Seems like MOST/ALMOST ALL all screen are actually "moving"- but that was blatant...AE--An old "Hockey" move/habit...?? 2 MINUTES IN THE PENALTY BOX ! ....and done right in front of...one of our fave WNBA refs--
A LOT of those are let go , maybe because the networks can't stay on 4 hours per game--gotta get to the next game/show---advertising $-- as anything on TV is a BUSINESS--- Or games would end with 1 on 1-- All other 26 players fouling out due to calling the the actual moving screens..........
 
UCan3 said:
The call didn’t cost us the game. It cost us a chance to win or tie the game. Who know how that shot goes?

But it’s not a matter of should they call it or not In my book.

Take the NFL you could call holding on every play. But unless it is an egregious hold you almost never see it called at the end of the game. Refs know they would be placing their hands “on the scale” if they were to call it on last play of the game.

I don’t think it was a foul and at the very least it was “ticky tack” foul that ruined the game.. Not only for Uconn, but for anyone watching the game.


I think the game now was a bad aura, an asterisk, and was not a good look for women’s basketball. Many people were watching their first Women’s college bb game this season due to the super stars and it might be their last game after watching the refs take over and essentially end one of the greatest women‘s NCAA games ever.

Bad Karma all around this one and not just for UConn fans.
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A couple of days removed from this, I am adjusting my take this just a bit.

We did put ourselves in a position to let the stripes make this type of call.

The first way we did this is we had been called for illegal screens 4 times. It was not the first call. We should have known they were not afraid to make this call - been more careful. That is coaching / player issue.

Secondly, the foul was right in front to ref and she did move just a tiny bit.

Do I think it should have been called?

No.

Do I still think the game has an asterisk?

No.

Live, Learn and we’ve got great news for next year already!
 
Windsorlocks said:
Hard not to call it when it’s that clear….

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That may be the definitive angle on the "moving pick", Illegal screen controversy.
But...... who would see such clarity in the fast action of "real" time. I watched this
replay from many angles (many replays). I believe what I see here (this video clip)... But I never
saw it in any other view. At the end of the game ,with any degree of ambiguity,
I still think the refs should error (?) on the side of a "no call" when there is any reason for
doubt. I had many doubts in all the previous views of this play...... ON TO NEXT YEAR!
 
The call, and it was a correct call, did not cost the Huskies the game. They did not execute enough over the course of the game so they wouldn’t have put themselves in that position at the end of the game. Great effort overall, but UConn needed a close to perfect game. Came close, but not close enough!
 
Kaizen said:
Wild things happen at the end of basketball games all the time. There are game-winning shots, incredible defensive plays, wild turnovers. You can see it all at the end of any given basketball game. That’s just the nature of the sport.

But the one thing you always hope for in the end is that the game is left in the hands of the players. You want to see someone make a play to either win or lose it. That’s the perfect way to determine which team is the better one.

What you absolutely don’t want to see is an official effectively ending the game with a call one way or another. Especially when that call is an egregiously bad one.

That’s exactly what happened at the end of Iowa and UConn’s Final Four matchup.

ftw.usatoday.com

A terrible call ruined a perfect ending to Iowa and UConn's Final Four matchup and fans are livid

Wild things happen at the end of basketball games all the time. There are game-winning shots, incredible defensive plays, w
ftw.usatoday.com ftw.usatoday.com
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You usually can’t win a game in a hostile environment by one or two points. It has to be by several points in order to nullify the unconscious bias of the refs who are on some level pulling for the other team to win.
 
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I guess that the only time a screen like Aaliyah did would be called is in a Women's College basketball game. You see those exact type of screens in the Men's game both college and pros and in the W all the time and it's a no call. The ref should have swallowed the whistle and let the game finish out.
 
MSGRET said:
I guess that the only time a screen like Aaliyah did would be called is in a Women's College basketball game. You see those exact type of screens in the Men's game both college and pros and in the W all the time and it's a no call. The ref should have swallowed the whistle and let the game finish out.
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It was obviosuy a bad call. You don't make that call. You're a ref. To excuse how you got fooled by the act of a player should not be an excuse. It was a blown opportuntiy made by refeering which is pretty substandard as it is- the issue was the bad call.
 
hoophuskee said:
It was obviosuy a bad call. You don't make that call. You're a ref. To excuse how you got fooled by the act of a player should not be an excuse. It was a blown opportuntiy made by refeering which is pretty substandard as it is- the issue was the bad call.
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It was a moving screen. Sheesh…
 
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