Duke basketball: ACC admits Blue Devils robbed of win against Virginia
The Duke basketball team received confirmation that it was robbed against Virginia.
It was very apparent to the human eye that the Duke basketball team was robbed at a chance at victory on Saturday afternoon against the No. 8 Virginia Cavaliers.
The Atlantic Coastal Conference confirmed the fact later that evening.
Members of the league office published a press release saying the officiating crew of Lee Cassell, Jeffery Anderson, and Tim Clougherty made an “incorrect adjudication” at the end of regulation of Virginia’s 69-62 overtime victory over the Blue Devils.
Duke (17-8, 8-6 ACC) had possession of the ball with 1.2 seconds left and got the ball to Kyle Filipowski driving to the basket where he was fouled by Virginia’s Ryan Dunn on his shot attempt as time expired.
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The officiating crew reviewed the play and determined the foul and shot attempt came after time ran out and sent the game to five extra minutes.
“The play should have resulted in two free throws for Duke,” the conference said in its statement, citing Rule 5, Section 7, Article 3c of the NCAA Rule Book.
“I still would like an explanation exactly what had happened. I don’t have clarity on that. I can’t give you clarity on that,” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer told the media after the game.
Virginia (19-4, 11-3 ACC) would score the first five points of overtime and never looked back in its comeback victory.
“They told me after the fact that the call was made after the buzzer,” Scheyer continued.
“But the call was made, so I don’t know how the call can be taken away. But again, I just would like clarity.”
Duke basketball ‘angry still’ days after game
Two days after the debacle in Charlottesville the pain and frustration has not left the Duke basketball program.
“I’m angry still,” Scheyer said on Monday in his weekly press conference.
“I respect [the ACC] for putting [the release] out. I respect them for acknowledging it, Obviously, it doesn’t change the outcome that our guys didn’t get the opportunity to earn a win.”
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A road win over Virginia would have pushed Duke closer to a double-bye in next month’s ACC Tournament and given the Blue Devils the potential to jump a seed line, or two, in NCAA Tournament projections.
Duke will somehow have to turn the page as it will play a struggling Notre Dame (10-15, 2-12 ACC) squad on Tuesday night (7:00p.m. ET, ESPN) inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.