Men's Basketball Links

• Homepage
• Roster
• Coaches
• Recruiting
• News and Notes
• Schedule
• Stats
• Facilities
• 2007-08 Media Guide

EMPORIA STATE ’S RESPONSE TO MIAA DECISION REGARDING NWMSU GAME

January 11, 2008-- Emporia State University has announced it will take it’s appeal of the outcome of the Hornet’s men’s basketball game with Northwest Missouri State University played last Thursday, February 7, 2008 to a national level.

“We understand the position the conference office has taken. The MIAA does not have the authority to overturn this and that is why we will continue our appeal to the national level,” said ESU Director of Athletics Kent Weiser. “We feel that the official in question, did in fact, knowingly violate the rules of the game by overturning his original call when there was no conclusive evidence within the rules to justify that.”

The MIAA has announced it will not over-rule the final of a 91-83 NWMSU victory in double overtime. ESU’s Andrew Davison hit a half court shot to apparently win the game at the end of regulation as the referee signaled the shot was good. The referee then went to the replay monitor for verification. Because the shot was taken from half court the scoreboard and backboard were not visible in the frame when the shot was taken. The official did not use the audio portion of the recording.

He instead used a stopwatch to time the play. He used the play by play from the statistics computer, which does not use tenths of a second, to determine there was approximately nine seconds left after the last made basket by ESU’s Marvin Lee tied the score at 66-66. The official started the stopwatch at the moment he saw the ball inbounded following Lee’s basket and attempted to stop it at the moment of release from Davison’s hands.

Rule 5, Section 7, Article 2.b of the 2008 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Rules and Interpretations book states that “in games with a 10th-of-a-second game clock display and where an official courtside monitor is used, the reading of zeros on the game clock is to be used to determine whether a try for goal occurred before or after the expiration of time in any period. When the game clock is not visible, the officials shall verify the original call with the use of the red/LED light(s). When the red/LED light(s) are not visible, the sounding of the game-clock horn shall be utilized. When definitive information is unattainable with the use of the monitor, the original call stands.”

"If the conference were to take the action to declare the game completed at the end of regulation that would be doing exactly what the referee did -- inappropriately setting aside the rules of the game," MIAA Commissioner Jim Johnson said in a release. "It is unfortunate when the action of one individual has such a significant impact on what was an outstanding Division II college basketball game. However, I do not believe there is an avenue for me to take that would be appropriate within the rules of the game."

ESU’s next step will be to appeal to the NCAA.

“We understand that this is an unprecedented situation, but feel the game was played to its conclusion when Andrew hit the shot and the official signaled it good,” said Weiser. “Had the official not broken the rules of the game by overturning his own call without conclusive evidence, the game would have ended.”

###HORNETS###