Big Ten says ref — not Michigan State's timekeeper — to blame for wild Spartans finish Sunday

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The wild finish and postgame controversy in Sunday's game between Michigan State and Florida Gulf Coast was the fault of an official, not a timekeeper, the Big Ten announced Monday.

With three seconds remaining and the Spartans ahead by just a point, 78-77, Eron Harris missed back-to-back free throws, giving the visiting Eagles a chance to win the game with a made basket. An initial attempt at a length-of-the-court pass was batted down by Michigan State's Miles Bridges, leaving just a little over a second remaining on the clock. The Eagles completed the next court-length pass, and a player got a shot off, though it missed badly.

But Florida Gulf Coast was furious at game's end because the clock, as replay showed, started before the ball was touched. The Eagles argued the shooter only let go of his way-off shot because he heard the buzzer go off and that he should've had more time to take a better shot. They wanted another crack at winning the game, one the officials didn't give them. A video review using a stopwatch determined that had the clock started at the correct time, because the shot missed, time would've run out anyway. No do-over.

The inappropriate start of the clock was believed to be the doing of Michigan State's clock operator, but Monday's statement said it was one of the officials who was responsible.

"While the on-court officials and Michigan State timekeeper have the ability to start and stop the clock, after a complete review of the timing error on the game’s final play with 1.6 seconds remaining, it was confirmed that a game official improperly set the clock in motion via his Precision Timing belt pack. The subsequent adjudication of rules, allowing for use of the courtside video monitor and a hand-held digital stopwatch to determine whether the shot was released prior to expiration, and if there was any time remaining in the game, were properly administered."

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