The Minnesota Golden Gophers faced the Ohio State Buckeyes on Thursday night in men’s basketball. The Gophers defeated the Buckeyes, 60-57, but the game wasn’t without controversy within the final seconds due to an apparent clean block that referees called a foul.
“Bruce Thornton’s clean block is instead called a foul, leading to Minnesota’s game-winning free throw with 1.7 seconds remaining. College coaches should be allowed to challenge a call like NBA coaches can,” wrote Josh Poloha of Ohio State fan site Eleven Warriors.
Buckeye head coach Chris Holtmann said in the immediate aftermath of the game that he would seek clarity from the Big Ten about the fateful, game-deciding decision by the referee crew.
He got that clarity by Friday morning. Holtmann, while speaking on his weekly teleconference with reporters, said the Big Ten admitted the foul on Thornton should have never been called.
The loss sent Ohio State to its third consecutive loss in recent play. It’s the longest losing streak since 2020-21.
As Eleven Warriors noted, however, Buckeye fans were on the other end of a blown call earlier this season against Rutgers when officials missed that the Buckeye guard Tanner Holden stepped out of play before launching what was ultimately the game-winning shot.
Coincidentally, the Buckeyes are next in action Sunday against the Scarlet Knights in New Jersey.
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