Officials Blow Call, Escape Reprimand

The Atlantic Coast Conference admitted Monday that three referees blew a call at the end of North Carolina State’s men’s basketball victory over Wake Forest, but won’t discipline the crew.

“Those people are just sick over it,” Fred Barakat, the head of ACC officials, said of Sam Croft, Raymie Styons and Mike Wood. “They feel worse than anybody, but … we just have to move on.”

N.C. State’s Clint Harrison was given credit for a 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime Sunday to give the Wolfpack a 60-59 victory. Television replays clearly showed Harrison’s left foot was inside the arc, which should have made the basket worth two points and forced a second overtime.

It marked the second ACC game in five days in which a blown lategame call helped decide the outcome. Duke defeated Virginia 62-61 Tuesday after the officials mismanaged the clock on an attempted substitution in the closing seconds. The ACC suspended the three officials in that incident for one game each.