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Samford basketball comeback marred by controversial foul call late in Kansas March Madness game

zac al-khateeb, usa today network
·3 min read

Samford basketball's would-be comeback vs 4 seed Kansas was marred in the final seconds of their first-round game early Friday, thanks to a controversial foul in the game's waning moments.

The 13 seed Bulldogs, which at one point faced a 20-point deficit vs. the Jayhawks, clawed their way back to cut the lead to 90-89 with roughly 20 seconds remaining, setting them in prime position for a first-round upset. The Jayhawks then saw an opportunity for a wide-open bucket by Nicolas Timberlake, who was left all alone on the other end of the floor, to extend the lead back to 92-89 — were it not for a tremendous block from behind by Samford's A.J. Staton-McCray.

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Staton-McCray appeared to cleanly block the ball from behind, giving Samford a chance for a 5-on-4 opportunity and chance for a go-ahead score in the game's final seconds. But officials appeared to erroneously call him for a foul, despite the fact his hand never touched Timberlake: It was a clean, all-ball block whose foul elicited numerous boos from the crowd in Salt Lake City.

The telecast very quickly saw that Staton-McCray's block was clean, something NCAA March Madnhess rules analyst Gene Steratore agreed with on the call. He called it "a great block by Samford" on the telecast, then doubled down on X (formerly Twitter):

Timberlake sunk both of his free throws to extend the lead back to 92-89, though the Bulldogs still had a chance to tie the game with a 3-pointer. Jermaine Marshall's attempt was off the mark on the ensuing possession, however, and the Jayhawks secured possession.

Johnny Furphy went 1 for 2 at the free throw line to give Kansas a 93-89 lead, sealing the Bulldogs' fate. Fans who watched the call in real time were less than pleased with the officials' call:

Social media reacts to Samford foul vs. Kansas

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Samford basketball comeback marred by controversial foul call vs Kansas