Sixth-seeded Tennessee defeated third-seeded Virginia 79-72 in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday to return to the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive year.
But do the Cavaliers have a legitimate complaint about a late decision that didn’t go their way?
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With 27 seconds left and the Volunteers leading 73-71, Virginia missed a short shot and during a scramble for the rebound, the ball was dunked by Tennessee’s Nate Ament and bounced off some bodies before going out of bounds.
Officials gave the ball to Tennessee, prompting UVA coach Ryan Odom to question it after replays appeared to show the ball was stabbed over the head of Vols defender Bishop Boswell and then went out of bounds without contact from a Virginia player. UVA’s Dallin Hall was close to the ball, but he pulled his hand away and didn’t appear to make contact with the ball because it didn’t change direction.
However, the referees stood by their original call and gave the ball to Tennessee. UT’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie added a free throw and took two possessions away, the arithmetic changed and the game ultimately suffered.
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Did the referees make the right call in the Tennessee-Virginia game? Take a look and decide for yourself:
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Controversial late play in Tennessee-Virginia game helps Vols reach Sweet 16
