In a shocking turn of events, a controversial referee decision has caused chaos in a New Jersey high school basketball playoff game. The game between Manasquan High School and Camden High School seemed to have ended with a game-winning buzzer-beater from Manasquan, but the referees reversed the call and declared Camden the winner.
With less than six seconds left in the game, Manasquan was down by one point. They quickly inbounded the ball and rushed up the court. After a missed shot from long range, Griffin Linstra of Manasquan rebounded the ball and put it in as it appeared the buzzer sounded. The initial call on the court was a game-winning shot for Manasquan, which led to a wild celebration from the team and their fans.
However, the celebration was short-lived as the referees huddled together and decided that the basket had actually come after time had expired. The reversal of the call left both teams and their fans feeling robbed. Head coach Andrew Bilodeau of Manasquan expressed his frustration, stating that he believed there should have been additional time added after they hit the shot. Video footage from the game showed that there was still time on the clock when Linstra made the final bucket.
Camden coach Maalik Wayns acknowledged that his team got lucky in their stunning win, while Bilodeau felt that his team had outplayed Camden and should have been advancing to the state final. The controversy surrounding the referee decision sparked outrage on social media, with many users expressing their support for Manasquan and criticizing the referees.
Former Rutgers and Robert Morris basketball coach Mike Rice took to Twitter to voice his opinion on the matter, stating that Manasquan had been robbed. Another varsity coach from New Jersey, Anthony Melesurgo of Bound Brook High School, criticized the lack of technology in ensuring correct calls in high-stakes games.
Despite the controversy, Camden will now face Newark Arts in the state final at Rutgers on Saturday. The chaotic ending to the game will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most controversial moments in New Jersey high school basketball history.
