A Texas high school girls' regional final ended in controversy Saturday when referees, apparently unable to decide the conditions under which a late foul occurred, ran out of the gym and declared the game over.
With five seconds remaining in double overtime, Argyle led Celina 51-50. But a Celina player was fouled while attempting a buzzer-beating three for the win, and at least one official blew his whistle. You can see the full sequence of events here:
The foul clearly comes before the buzzer, as does the shot attempt. But Celina never shot any free throws. A full explanation of what happened hasn't emerged; the officials wouldn't comment, and the Texas state athletic organization reports that referees had determined the shot attempt came after the buzzer, and cannot be overruled.
We're not sure what's more pathetic here: the blown call, or the cowardice of those who made it. One 30-year veteran Texas referee called it "the worst ending to a basketball game I've ever seen in my many years of officiating."