Refs stunningly reverse call on buzzer-beater, throw New Jersey HS playoff game into chaos: ‘Robbed’
New Jersey’s high school boys basketball playoffs appeared to have a stunning upset with a game-winning buzzer-beater.
Until it didn’t.
Down by one to Camden High School with a shade under six seconds left in the state semifinals, Manasquan High School seemingly hit what appeared to be a game-winning shot with a put-back off the glass, setting off a wild celebration in Bayville on Tuesday night.
But not long after, the referees reversed the call and said the bucket actually came after the final buzzer, and instead, Camden, the state’s No. 2-ranked team on Max Preps, had held on for the 46-45 win in the Group 2 semis.
The wild sequence began when Alijah Curry of Camden sunk a free-throw with 5.8 ticks left on the clock to put Camden up by one point.
Manasquan quickly inbounded the ball and rushed up the court, and after a missed shot from long range, Griffin Linstra rebounded the ball right under the hoop and put it in as it appeared the buzzer sounded, and officials initially counted the basket.
Fans of Manasquan flooded the court as a raucous celebration got under way.
Nevertheless, according to the Asbury Park Press and video from the game, referees converged with one another on the court and decided that the basket had actually come after time had expired.
Head coach Andrew Bilodeau said after the game that he felt there should have actually been time added after they hit the shot, about .6 seconds worth.
Though it’s not clear if .6 seconds should have actually be left on the clock, video from the venue shows the clock still have time on it as Linstra put up the final bucket.
“They reversed the call,” Bilodeau said after the game, according to the Asbury Park Press. “The referee in the C position in the middle signaled ‘basket’s good,’ they huddled up and then 15 kids got screwed in front of 1,000 people. Print that. Print it five times.
“Those three guys huddled up and they screwed these kids in front of 1,000 people and that video will be on the internet for everyone to see.”
Camden coach Maalik Wayns said his squad got some “luck” in its stunning win.
“We got one. Sometimes a little bit of luck and hard work is on your side,” Wayns said, according to NJ.com.
Bilodeau, though, felt his team was the better one on Tuesday and should have been advancing to the state final.
“These guys beat Camden’s ass in front of everyone in this gym and everyone on TV,” Bilodeau said, according to the Shore Sports Network. “[Camden is] a heck of a team — well-coached, tough, defensive-minded — but we outplayed them tonight and everybody saw it.”
Users on social media seemed to believe that Manasquan got the short end of the stick.
Former Rutgers and Robert Morris basketball coach Mike Rice took to X, slamming the reversal.
“The trail ref had it correct. I really hope they suspend the ref that decided to waive it off,” he wrote.”Manasquan got robbed!!!”
“For those who haven’t seen, Manasquan (N.J.) got absolutely screwed tonight. That’s a tough way to go down,” wrote another.
Another New Jersey varsity coach sided with Manasquan as well.
“Manasquan losses a chance to go to a state [trophy] because no1 can check the thousands of phones, computers, and other devices in the gym. It’s 2024! Get it Right!” wrote coach Anthony Melesurgo of Bound Brook High School.
Instead, it will be Camden taking on Newark Arts at Rutgers on Saturday.
