The officials’ decision at the conclusion of Thursday night’s game against Kansas left Samford feeling hard done by.
In the dying seconds, Samford’s A.J. Staton-McCray chased down Nick Timberlake and appeared to cleanly block Timberlake’s shot. However, the referees interpreted the play differently.
Despite the apparent clean block, the refs called a foul, sending Timberlake to the line and effectively sealing the game’s outcome.
RELATED: Oakland Sharp Shooter Jack Gohlke Goes Viral During Opening Round Upset Over Kentucky
Kansas ultimately emerged victorious by four points, with a final score of 93-89. Following the game, Samford head coach Bucky McMillan responded admirably when questioned about the controversial call.
“I have seen the play. I thought A.J. made an incredible play on it, you know what I’m saying? I’m not faulting the call. Some people can see it different ways. But I was really proud of our guys’ ability to go make a play,” McMillan stated. “At the end of the day, A.J.’s recovery there, if there is no whistle, I’m not blaming the whistle but if there’s no whistle, we’re going to have a numbers advantage going the other way to advance to round two. That’s how close the game was.”
Despite the potential to criticize the referees, McMillan chose to highlight the outstanding effort from both teams and express his pride in his players’ performance.
It’s a testament to McMillan’s class and sportsmanship as the head coach of Samford.
March Madness is off to a fantastic start.
