OVERTIME
Rutgers 62
Seton Hall 61
PISCATAWAY – The call was questionable, the end-game as dramatic as it was ironic. It’s a shame a game this good had to come down to a call this bad.
First, Quincy Douby – benched for the start of the game – got the benefit of a questionable foul called on Don Copeland at the buzzer. Then, with no time left in overtime, he missed the first of two free throws. Finally, he stood on the line, feeling like the loneliest man in Piscataway, with one shot at redemption.
He made it, pumping his fist in exaltation as Rutgers escaped with a 62-61 win over archrival Seton Hall.
After having lost five straight to the Hall and five straight overall, last night’s win may have saved Rutgers’ season – and left the Pirates (10-10, 2-7 Big East) feeling robbed.
Douby was wrapped in a bear hug by coach Gary Waters, the man who had benched him to start the night. Douby was named the game’s MVP, with 19 points – 14 in the second half, when he kept Rutgers (8-12, 2-8) afloat against a slow, inexorable Pirate rally that was short-circuited by that shady call.
“I want them to leave feeling good about themselves. For the last month, they haven’t,” said Waters, who had his eyes closed during Douby’s first miss.
“I consider this divine justice. We’ve . . . lost some close games down the stretch. Now we can feel good about a game where we received on the other end.”
After RU’s Juel Wiggan (11 points) missed a free throw with :06.5 left that could’ve given Rutgers a regulation win, Douby gave them a four-point lead in OT. But inbounding with the score tied and just :04 left, Douby couldn’t get Copeland to bite on a pump-fake and missed a jumper.
But referee Les Jones called a foul, one so stunning even Douby was surprised.
“The last few seconds they usually don’t blow the whistle. They just let you play,” said Douby, who had averaged just 7.3 ppg on 10-of-43 shooting in his last four games.
“I didn’t want to try to draw the foul. I’d rather try to get the shot up rather than depend on a whistle. Yeah, I was a little surprised.”
With Copeland pleading his case and Kelly Whitney flinging his headband at the scorer’s table in abject disgust, Douby hit the second free throw for the win.
“I don’t think I fouled him, but the ref saw something,” Copeland said. “He’s twisting and turning. There’s going to be contact. I’m trying not to foul; that’s in my mind. But the ref just made the call. It’s frustrating.”
Crew chief Tim Higgins said the league doesn’t comment on a judgment calls, but suffice to say both sides were shocked.
“From my vantage point, we did everything right: Played great defense, stayed on the ground and Douby didn’t have anywhere to go and he missed the shot,” said a misty-eyed Louis Orr, who saw his team trail 20-8 in the first half before rallying behind John Allen (20 points).
“I thought the game was going to double overtime.”
Penn 70, Princeton 62 (OT )
At Philadelphia, Tim Begley scored 20 points and Penn (12-7, 5-0 Ivy) pulled off an amazing rally from an 18-point deficit with 7:35 left in regulation and defeated Princeton (10-9, 1-4).
Eric Osmundson had 13 points for Penn, which won its seventh straight and remained the only unbeaten team in the Ivy League.
Judson Wallace, who fouled out with 1:03 left in regulation, had 21 points and Will Venable 12 for the Tigers.
