For teams to pull off upsets at the NCAA Tournament, sometimes a call or two needs to go the underdog's way. That didn't happen Thursday night for Samford as the Bulldogs fell short of a comeback win over Kansas.
No. 13 seed Samford's valiant effort in the second half to storm back from a 22-point deficit was nearly completed in the final seconds of the contest. However, a late foul call gave No. 4 seed Kansas the break it needed, as the Jayhawks hung on for a 93-89 victory in Salt Lake City to advance to the second round of March Madness.
With 19.9 seconds left in the game, Kansas had possession, holding a one-point lead. The inbounds pass went to guard Nic Timberlake, who sprinted down the court to extend the Jayhawks lead.
Following closely behind was Samford guard A.J. Staton-McCray, who chased down Timeberlake and appeared to get a clean block off before the Jayhawk could finish the bucket. The officials did not see it that way, as the play was whistled dead and a foul was assessed to Staton-McCray.
Just an unbelievable, LeBron-esque chase down block by Samford’s AJ Staton-McCray. Did not like the foul call here, this appeared to be all ball. #NCAAMarchMadness pic.twitter.com/W8pXHONTeg
— Gene Steratore (@GeneSteratore) March 22, 2024
Instead of Samford getting the ball in transition, needing a basket to take the lead with just seconds left in the contest, Kansas got two free throws from the call, sunk them both and survived the upset scare in Utah.
"That's how close the game was," Samford head coach Bucky McMillan said in his press conference. "That's how well our guys played. What was the maximum we were down? We were down by 22. We're going to have the ball there ... with a great opportunity.
"It is what it is."
TSN's MARCH MADNESS HQ:
Live NCAA bracket news | TV schedule | Predictor tool
Samford vs. Kansas block controversy, explained
McMillan was dejected in his press conference after the loss, but he made sure not to place any of the blame on the officials, despite what the video replays have shown on the play.
"I have seen the play," McMillan said. "I thought A.J. made an incredible play on it, you know what I'm saying? I'm not faulting the call. Some people can see it different ways. But I was really proud of our guys' ability to go make a play.
Samford head coach Bucky McMillan on the foul called at the end of the game against Kansas: pic.twitter.com/zKi3jKlmaH
— Ryan Hennessy (@RyanWVTM13) March 22, 2024
Kansas head coach Bill Self was also asked about the foul call that benefitted his team. The longtime Jayhawks coach diverted his answer away from the block itself, instead praising Timberlake for the way he went to the rim.
"I thought Nic attacked the basket well," Self said. "He's a much better athlete than what a lot of people think. He attacked it strong, just like he should."
Samford used the 3-ball to get back into the game after falling behind in the first half. The Bulldogs finished with 16 made 3-pointers, 10 more than their opposition. Eight of those makes from beyond the arc came during the team's comeback run, which started with about 16 minutes left in the game.
McMillan's full-court press was on full display, and nearly got the Bulldogs the win. He is known for utilizing a style that turns defense into offense, as Samford forced seven steals, ending the game with 15 points off turnovers.
"That's my first experience with Bucky ball," Self said. "I'd as soon not play against it again for a while. It's a hard game for us with very little depth. You have to play guys the entire game. We knew it's going to be like that. There's just never a break in the action where you can catch your breath."
With the win, Kansas advances to the second round in the Midwest Region, setting up a date with No. 5 seed Gonzaga on Saturday, who blew out No. 12 McNeese 86-65.
As of Samford, it marks the end of their third appearance in the Big Dance. The 2024 berth was the program's first since 2000, and the Bulldogs are still looking for their first NCAA Tournament win in team history.
"I think our guys really believed they were going to win," McMillan said. "I even felt at halftime, if you would have asked me, I was very confident we were going to win. Then when we cut it, we had all the momentum, I thought we'd win.
"When we didn't win, I was shocked we didn't win."
Why Samford's foul call wasn't reviewed
Foul calls are not reviewable in college basketball, a key rules difference from games played at the NBA level. The NCAA overhauled its replay system in 2013 to include the review of out of bounds plays and other possession calls, but shooting fouls cannot be reviewed or challenged.
