INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Texas A&M pulled within two of UCLA on Sunday. Too bad the game ended Saturday night.
The NCAA clarified the score of the top-seeded Bruins’ second-round victory over the Aggies, saying the officials waved off Russell Westbrook’s dunk as time expired and the final was 51-49 instead of 53-49.
UCLA’s Josh Shipp blocked Donald Sloan’s drive in the final seconds and Westbrook rushed upcourt for an emphatic dunk as the Bruins celebrated.
It turns out Westbrook didn’t make it to the basket in time, and officials disallowed the hoop.
“Amidst the activity courtside, there was a misinterpretation of the signal,” Hank Nichols, national coordinator of men’s basketball officiating, said in a release Sunday. “But the ruling on the court was that the basket should not have counted, making the final score 51-49, not 53-49.”
The Bruins (33-3) will face Western Kentucky in the West Regional semifinals Thursday in Phoenix.
