Jeff Capel stood dumbfounded, his arms extended while he tried to digest what had just happened.
The Pittsburgh men’s basketball coach thought his team had five minutes of overtime coming up against Notre Dame in the first round of the ACC Tournament, but the referees had called a controversial foul that put the Fighting Irish at the line with 0.5 seconds remaining Tuesday.
“He didn’t touch him,” Capel seemed to say.
One made free throw later and the Panthers’ NCAA Tournament hopes had died with a 55-54 loss to the 12th-seeded Fighting Irish in Charlotte that perturbed many due to the ticky-tack nature of the call.
Capel appeared to use a curse to describe the “horrible” foul while he chased after the referees following the final buzzer before pulling back one of his players amid a conversation with an official.
“I really hated the way it ended,” Capel said after the game. “I’ve been coaching for 25 years. The worst way I’ve ever seen to end a ball game. I still can’t believe it, shocked at how it ended for us.”
Notre Dame had possession in a 54-54 game with less than four seconds when a miss careened toward Pittsburgh’s Zack Austin and Notre Dame’s Tae Davis.
Davis corralled the ball mid-air and hoisted a shot that missed, but a few whistles rung out inside the Spectrum Center after the buzzer sounded.
Even one of the announcers said “we get overtime” before realizing a foul had been called.
As the referees looked at the clock, the ACC Network broadcast showed replays of play.
Austin made minimal contact with Davis on the play while they both jumped for the rebound, but it did not seem he affected Davis’ shot.
Hall of Famer and former Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim disagreed with the ruling.
“No foul,” Boehim said. “There is no foul.”
He later said: “I mean, was there any contact?”
Fans booed when the referees ruled Notre Dame would shoot free throws, and Davis made the first before missing the second.
Austin, a senior, pulled his jersey over his head and then exited the court with his head still in his jersey and his hands over his eyes while teammates consoled him.
“I’m just hurt, man,” Austin said while crying at the podium. “I’m hurt.”
Pittsburgh star sophomore guard Jaland Lowe walked with an official after the game and seemed to be giving him the business before Capel intervened.
“I’m in disbelief, I’m hurt,” Lowe said. “Nobody should have to go out like this.”
Notre Dame faces No. 5 seed North Carolina in the second round Wednesday, while Pittsburgh — ranked as high as No. 18 after a 7-1 start this season — has now missed the NCAA tournament for two straight seasons.
The Panthers turned down the NIT last year and could be offered a spot again this year.
