College Basketball Team Loses After Being Assessed Technical Foul For Celebrating Game-Winner

A desperation three-pointer by Sioux Falls’s Taylor Varsho gave the Cougars a 59-58 win over Division II rival Winona State— a team that had previously beaten them by 39 points—until officials assessed Sioux Falls a technical foul for celebrating the buzzer-beater that, replay showed, left less than half a second on the clock.

Winona State sank both free throws to earn a final 60-59 victory; Sioux Falls argued they had every reason to believe the game was over, given the buzzer sounded and the backboard light turned red, but officials ruled the “court-storming” (which, given this was a Division II women’s basketball game, was not much of anything) demanded the technical foul call. Here’s another angle:

Attempts to recall a similar instance where a slightly-premature celebration was penalized are escaping us. Has anyone else ever seen this happen before?

[All Sport]

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