The attempt was oh-so close to becoming one of the top plays of the young college basketball season. But one-tenth of a second -- and NCAA rule -- prevented Florida Gulf Coast from forcing a third overtime Tuesday at South Florida.
After a wild, back-and-forth night at the Sun Dome, the Eagles had one last chance to extend the drama with 0.3 seconds left. Guard Jamail Jones heaved a full-court lob to forward Chase Fieler, who caught the pass mid-jump and sent FGCU’s bench into frenzy, after his shot rattled through the net before the buzzer to tie the score at 68.
But the celebrations, and hopes for a can-you-believe-this third overtime, were short-lived.
Correctly, officials ruled the basket was invalid because it came with less than 0.4 seconds left, when only a tip-in can occur. Photos of the final play show Fieler’s shot indeed beat the buzzer, but as the Eagles learned, this is a rule with no gray area.
So instead of playing on – thanks to a miraculous catch-and-shoot play fit for highlight reels -- FGCU fell to 5-5.
Here are 2 consecutive frames of #FGCU Chase Fieler's final shot. @TBOcom @JJohnstonTBO pic.twitter.com/Ei1AeNKDqT
— Chris Urso (@cursoTBO) December 18, 2013
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
