March Madness: Team misses chance at NCAA tourney with late-second blunder

It’s March, which means madness ensues on the college basketball court. 

Sometimes, that madness is due to some brutal blunders that result in agonizing losses.

That’s exactly what occurred in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament final on Saturday, as South Carolina State’s Caleb McCarty appeared to make a game-saving play when he stole an inbounds pass and tied the game at 65 apiece against Norfolk State. 

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Norfolk State Spartans guard Christian Ings moves the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. (Randy Sartin-Imagn Images)

However, McCarty’s heroic moment quickly turned sour when he didn’t seem to realize what the score was at the time of the next inbounds play. 

With 10.6 seconds left to play, McCarty chased down Norfolk State’s Christian Ings and intentionally fouled him. McCarty’s teammates were in shock, throwing their arms in the air as Ings got to go to the free-throw line to get two free shots to take the lead once more. 

Ings ended up hitting just one of those two free throws with 8.9 seconds left to play, though South Carolina State had one more chance at a bucket to rectify the mistaken foul. 

But the last shot at the buzzer missed, and Norfolk State celebrated their trip to the NCAA Tournament as the MEAC champions. Meanwhile, South Carolina State couldn’t have been more heartbroken. 

South Carolina State guard Eric Eaves dribbles against the University of Miami Hurricanes on Dec. 6, 2016, at Watsco Center, Coral Gables, Florida. (Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

McCarty finished the game with four points and two rebounds, playing 19 minutes off the bench for the Bulldogs. 

The Bulldogs were up 34-25 at halftime as well, but were outscored 41-31 in the second half as the Spartans made a comeback. 

South Carolina State’s Wilson Dubinsky was the leading scorer in this game with 24 points, while tallying two rebounds and three assists as well. 

South Carolina State Bulldogs forward Caleb McCarty dunks the ball against the Xavier Musketeers at Cintas Center. (Aaron Doster-Imagn Images)

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For Norfolk State, Ings led the way with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

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