ACC admits 'timing error' in Duke victory

No. 10 Blue Devils beat No. 19 Tigers on buzzer-beating layup
-Associated Press

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Atlantic Coast Conference admitted Friday that a timing error was made in the closing seconds of No. 10 Duke’s 68-66 win over 19th-ranked Clemson.

Coordinator of basketball officials John Clougherty said the league reviewed the game film and discussed the clock controversy with the officials, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Clemson coach Oliver Purnell.

“The league acknowledges that a timing error was made in not starting the game clock at the correct time,” said Clougherty, adding the situation was resolved internally but did not elaborate.

The confusion started shortly after Clemson’s Vernon Hamilton made a layup to pull the Tigers to 66-63 with 5 seconds left.

Josh McRoberts’ inbounds pass for Greg Paulus went right to Hamilton just outside the 3-point arc. Hamilton hit a 3 to tie it with 1.8 seconds left, which seemed to have the game headed for overtime.

But officials stopped play to review the time remaining and restored the clock to 4.4seconds. The clock, which stopped on Hamilton’s layup, did not restart on the steal until the ball was almost in the basket — a pause of more than a second.

McRoberts then inbounded the ball to Jon Scheyer. He pushed the ball near midcourt and passed to David McClure, who made a layup as time expired to give the Blue Devils the win.

“I am satisfied with their review in this matter,” Purnell said Friday. “We now need to put 100 percent of our focus on our game with Virginia on Sunday, and that is what we will do, starting with today’s practice.”

A Duke spokesman said school officials would have no comment.