Future Pages ad
By Daily Bruin Staff
March 18, 1998 9:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 19, 1998
Bad officials’ call robs Bruins of tournament
WBASKETBALL: Despite replays, NCAA refuses
to reverse results of game
By David Arnold
Daily Bruin Contributor
They suit up in anonymous black and white stripes, they don’t
play a single minute for either team, and they can’t be credited
for any points, rebounds or assists, but game officials can win
games, and lose games.
All things considered, referees Jack Riordan, Robert Strong and
Lolly Saenz could have been the game’s MVPs for the Crimson Tide of
Alabama on Sunday.
Thus, the UCLA women’s basketball team filed a protest to the
NCAA about its second-round game against Alabama which the Bruins
lost 75-74 under controversial circumstances.
"One of the hardest things I’ve had to do was go and talk to
those 12 players," said UCLA head coach Kathy Olivier. She was, of
course, alluding to her team, whose season ended abruptly on Sunday
when the officials left the court after allowing a Alabama basket
in the final 0.8 seconds of the game.
In a press conference on Monday, the UCLA Associate Athletic
Director Betsy Stevenson identified three mistakes the officials
made the school believes affected the outcome of the game. These
include allowing Crimson Tide guard Brittany Ezell to run along the
baseline to make the in-bounds pass for the winning basket. Under
NCAA rules this is considered travelling after a timeout and should
have resulted in a turnover.
The other mistakes named were a possible delay in starting the
clock after that pass, and not using the opportunity to consult
video replay.
According to UCLA, the time keeper didn’t start the clock when
it was tipped off the fingers of Bruin guard Erica Gomez and
Alabama’s Dominique Canty before it was deflected to the Tide’s
Latoya Caudle, who made the winning shot.
After that basket the officials left the court, which meant –
due to NCAA rules – that the game was over and that the score would
stand. There was an opportunity to review a video replay to
determine if the clock started on time, but when the officials left
it was forfeited.
"I’m not OK with saying that we’re not going to the Sweet 16,
because this team deserves this," said Olivier.
The NCAA responded to UCLA’s protest in a one-and-a-half page
faxed letter which stated, "The rules of conduct prevent any
governing committee from overturning the game result at this
time."
