Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Timing issue cost UNLV vs. Boise State, but not how you think

New Mexico v UNLV

Getty Images

Ethan Miller

Over the weekend, we had one of the most exciting finishes in college basketball as UNLV was knocked off by Boise State in overtime when Deville Smith’s game-winning jumper was waived off.

It came a split-second too late.

League officials reviewed the tape and agreed. The ball was still touching Smith’s fingertips when the clock hit 0.0.

The problem? UNLV should have had 0.1 seconds more to get the shot off.

From the Las Vegas Sun:

According to UNLV coach Dave Rice, Mountain West and Pac-12 coordinator of officials Bobby Dibler called him Monday to say that after further review the Rebels should have had 3.4 seconds instead of 3.3 when they inbounded the ball to Smith for his final heave.

Boise State’s Derrick Marks hit a go-ahead shot in the lane and after the ball rattled around the rim it swished through and left 3.3 seconds on the clock. However, some UNLV fans immediately cried foul, saying that extra time had run off the clock.

There was a screen shot going around on Sunday and Monday that showed the ball completely through the basket with 3.4 remaining. That was probably all Dibler needed to see to confirm what Rice already believed.

That’s a tough pill for UNLV to swallow, but if they don’t blow a five-point lead in the final 50 seconds, we don’t even need to have this conversation.