Little guys get SQUEEZED by 'Cuse & refs

I don't know if there any dirty business going on or not but it sure LOOKED that way in today's Syracuse vs. UNC- Ashville game in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament (which, by the way, is still the 1st round in my book).

Syracuse is the #1 seed so they are SUPPOSED to win. But, UNC-A was called for a suspect-at-best lane violation late in the game with the game very much in doubt. The ‘Cuse missed the free throw on the original try but made the second attempt at the first freebie.

Later in the game, actually the final seconds, Syracuse threw the ball inbounds and it CLEARLY went off a ‘Cuse player's hands and out of bounds. It should have been UNC-A basketball with a few seconds to go down just three points. They should have had a chance to TIE THE GAME! A #16 seed against a #1! And the refs said the ball went off UNC-A… which was LITERALLY impossible. You could have called a foul on the play, because there was some contact, but there is no way the ball went off UNC-A.

Later, after the game was pretty much out of reach, a ‘Cuse player was fouled and went to the line for a pair of free throws. The player shot the first. Made it. Shot the second. Made it. And the refs were going to give the ‘Cuse player a THIRD free throw when there were only two awarded. How can you forget how to count to TWO?!

It was one of the worst officiated games I've seen in a while… and I was at the TU-Marshall 3OT debacle that featured 71 fouls called and, count them, 101 FREE THROW TRIES!!!!

I hope that the NCAA wasn't in the official's ears beforehand telling them to get the #1 seed to the next round at whatever cost but it sure looked that way. I'm not a conspiracy theory guy by nature but that was TERRIBLE OFFICIATING.