The NCAA called Gonzaga coach Mark Few to apologize for an incorrect call in his team's Sweet 16 game against Syracuse, according to the Spokesman-Review.
The call proved to be pivotal, as it allowed the Orange to maintain their momentum and ride a furious comeback to victory.
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With 1:17 to play, Gonzaga was called for a violation after a Bulldogs' pass was deflected by a Syracuse player into the backcourt. The ball was picked up by Gonzaga behind the halfcourt line, but the 10-second clock did not reset and the Bulldogs were called for a violation.
Gonzaga was up by one at the time, but the Orange scored the final four points of the game to cap a 15-3 run and won 63-60.
While Syracuse did not score off the turnover, it took away a chance for Gonzaga to extend its lead.
“If you score there, you’re up by (three or) four, and if they subsequently go down and miss, they’d have fouled,” Few said, via the Spokesman-Review.
Few said he appreciated the NCAA's willingness to admit the mistake.
“It shows you, there’s so much luck and stuff involved,” he said. “There are all these factors, and people want to dive into this or that. But really, it’s just an unfortunate deal. … But I think it’s probably good in our sport to say, 'Hey, we screwed up.' I didn’t make all the perfect calls in that game, either.”