It may not be the most impactful timeout controversy in NCAA history, but Santa Clara head coach Herb Sendek will feeling the sting of today's missed opportunity against Kentucky for maybe the rest of his life.
With only moments left in regulation of today's game between 7-seeded Kentucky and 10-seeded Santa, Santa Clara took a three-point lead. Kentucky got the ball back, but Sendek asserts that he called a timeout that the referees refused to grant. Wildcats star Otega Oweh hit the long-distance three-point shot which he buried, sending the game to overtime and allowing Kentucky to win.
After the game, Sendek was pretty heated.
"I unequivocally called timeout. But they didn't grant it," Sendek said.
Stolen Game or Missed Opportunity?
Basketball fans were split over whether Sendek actually called the timeout in a timely manner or not.
"Refs stole this game from them a few times smh," one user on X lamented.
"Called it way too late. Gotta be calling it as basket is made," another argued.
"Coaches have gotten way to comfortable with the idea that refs should anticipate them calling a TO. Not their job. That's a courtesy," a third wrote.
"The timeout came late, very unfortunate for them. The ref was signaling made three to the box, his back was turned to Santa Clara’s head coach."
© Jeff Le-Imagn Images.
This was Santa Clara's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996 and would have allowed them to repeat the history they made back then when they beat 7-seeded Maryland as a 10-seed.
Sadly, it wasn't meant to be.
If it's any consolation to Sendek and the Broncos, Kentucky's lackluster performance against them doesn't bode well for their NCAA Tournament future.
