A New Jersey high school boys basketball state playoff game between Manasquan High School and Camden High School ended in controversy Tuesday night.
Watch: Controversial Finish In New Jersey Basketball State Playoffs
New Jersey state playoffs. Camden takes 46-45 lead. Manasquan appears to hit buzzer beat for the win. Refs reverse the call. pic.twitter.com/mTl93lfVb5
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) March 6, 2024
With 5.8 seconds left, Camden’s Alijah Curry sunk a free throw to go up 46-45.
After inbounding the ball and racing down the floor, Manasquan’s Rey Weinseimer missed a 3-pointer from the wing. However, Weinseimer’s teammate, Griffin Linstra, rebounded the ball and sank the shot at the buzzer to give Manasquan a 47-46 win over Camden in the NJSIAA Group 2 semifinal game.
Padenmomium broke on Central Regional High School as Manasquan celebrated their upset victory.
However, the three officials huddled and overturned the decision, saying the basket occurred after the final buzzer. As a result, Camden won 46-45 and moved on to play in the state finals.
After watching the video, Linstra released the shot before the buzzer, meaning the basket should have counted. In other words, Manasquan was robbed.
Manasquan’s Protest Denied, But Team May Seek Legal Action
Here the NJSIAA’s response and it is a legitimate admission of error and apology to Manasquan. The rules prevent any overturn of the decision, which was never going to happen, so this is probably the strongest possible alternative. pic.twitter.com/Adtc8asPMT
— Matt Manley (@Matt_Manley) March 6, 2024
In a statement explaining the controversial decision, NJSIAA offered a full apology to Manasquan and admitted the officials made a clear error.
Manasquan filed a protest to challenge the result. However, the protest was denied by the NJSIAA, as the rules prevent a decision from being overturned.
“NJSIAA Program Regulations, Section 14 – which governs the use of video – states, ‘No video or audio recording may be used to review or challenge the decision of a sports official.’
Manasquan coach Andrew Bilodeau did not hold back when describing the officials’ error that cost his team a berth in the state final.
“They reversed the call,” Bilodeau told the Asbury Park Press. “The referee in the C position in the middle signaled ‘basket’s good,’ they huddled up, and then 15 kids got screwed in front of 1,000 people. Print that. Print it five times. Those three guys huddled up, and they screwed these kids in front of 1,000 people and that video will be on the internet for everyone to see.”
According to the Manasquan School District, they will “continue to pursue any available appeals.” The Group 2 finals are scheduled for Saturday at Rutgers.
Our statement in response to the @NJSIAA's decision to uphold the outcome of last night's Boys Basketball Group 2 Semifinal Game while admitting referee error: pic.twitter.com/Mpd4pDEUrh
— Manasquan School District (@ManasquanBOE) March 6, 2024
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