INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana had every reason to let one whistle rattle it Monday night. Instead, the Hoosiers shrugged it off and finished the job.
In an 83-80 win over Syracuse at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, a late call against Darren Harris threatened to swing the game. With less than seven minutes left, Harris was whistled for a shooting foul on Kiyan Anthony’s missed 3-point try, even though the replay showed Anthony got the shot off clean and Harris had gone out of his way to avoid contact.
Harris stared back at the bench in disbelief. The jumbotron kept rolling the replay for the pro-IU crowd, and every showing drew louder boos. But there was no coach’s challenge waiting to rescue Indiana.
Darian DeVries said after the game that a challenge system more like the NBA’s would have been useful in that moment.
“That's just part of the game, and we're going to get the benefit of some of those sometimes too,” DeVries said after the game. “It goes both ways.”
Under current NCAA rules, coaches get one challenge per game, and if they win it, they earn a second. Even then, the list of reviewable plays is limited. Men’s basketball coaches can challenge out-of-bounds calls, goaltending and whether a secondary defender was in the restricted-area arc, but not a personal foul like the one on Harris.
“In some ways it wouldn't be bad to be able to have a little more (control),” DeVries said. “You only get the same amount (challenges) regardless. If you're wrong, you lose it, maybe getting a little more where you can get the call right if there ever is a miss in the last couple minutes.”
The missed call could have turned into a bigger problem if Indiana had let frustration take over. Instead, the Hoosiers settled in quickly.
“Getting down five in that situation, you've got to make sure you stay focused, get re-locked in,” DeVries said.
Indiana answered right away. On the next trip, Harris found Markus Burton in the corner for a 3-pointer, and the Hoosiers reclaimed the lead for good with 4:10 left. Harris had a good look himself, but spotted Burton alone and made the extra pass.
That kind of response mattered as much as anything else.
“Being able to execute in those type of situations is a big deal too,” DeVries said. “We try to really reinforce that confidence and to not be afraid of the moment and just trust it.”
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