SAN ANTONIO — The first UIL semi-final game on Friday's slate ended in an overtime thriller.
The Lipan Indians (34-4) took on New Home Leopards (31-7) in the first of back-to-back 2A semi-final games at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The Indians won the game, 40-39, but not without a bit of controversy. With .3 seconds on the clock, the ball was inbounded and seemingly won on a last second buzzer beater by the Leopards.
Video taken by Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reporter Stephen Garcia shows the ball clearly leave the player's hand before the backboard light turns on. The Leopards bench leaped from the sideline in jubilation, celebrating what they thought had been the game-winning shot.
However, the play was reviewed and ruled no good by the officials, and Lipan was ruled the winner. Watch the final play and reaction to the review call below:
New Home's coach, Koby Abney told Garcia "the explanation I was given is they went to the monitor, they put a clock on the monitor. Apparently they disregard the red light that's on the scoreboard at that point. They put a timer on the play and they basically watch it as if the scorer's table and the scoreboard and the giant lights and everything that we use for the entire rest of the game does not exist. And in the estimation of that, it happened, the shot happened after .3 seconds."
Numerous sports journalists covering the event chimed in on social media:
Lipan will face the winner of Thrall (30-5) and Shelbyville (28-7) in the 2A State championship on Saturday.
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