Novi to Challenge the Buzzer Beater against West Bloomfield.

Written Thursday March 16th at 4:15 PM

The Novi Wildcats Boys Basketball team will file an official protest to the MHSAA after losing 67-66 in double overtime to West Bloomfield on Wednesday night in the regional final at Walled Lake Northern according to MIPrepZone's Scott Bernstein.

The play the Wildcats will be challenging is the winning layup by Kevin McAdoo but there is video and photograph evidence that McAdoo still had the ball in his hands when the clock stroke zero.

The play was set up after McAdoo hit a three to cut the Novi lead to one point (66-65) but there was a steal by Garrett Winn that set up the winning controversial layup for McAdoo.

McAdoo had 34 points in the game for the Lakers.

This is not the first time that controversy has affected this tournament. In the pre-district at Orion, Pontiac used an ineligible player to beat Oxford 56-39, which led to the Phoenix forfeiting the rest of the tournament. The Wildcats were credited with the forfeit win but because of MHSAA rules they couldn't advance and take Pontiac's place.

West Bloomfield will meet Troy on Tuesday in the State quarterfinals at Callahan Hall in Detroit.

Thoughts.

It came as no surprise that Novi would challenge the buzzer beater to the MHSAA but I doubt it would go anywhere. You can't change the outcome of the game, the game has already been played and it's final.

I believe that instant replay might be needed in the MHSAA thanks to this game, though it might take longer to review the play. You have to get things right and with today's technology and games being broadcasted either on Community Access like Orion Neighborhood Television, Oxford Community Television, Independence Television, Southfield Public Access, West Bloomfield Public Access, The Biff in Bloomfield Hills, Farmington Channel Ten, CMN TV, etc, it might be time for the MHSAA to consider the use of instant replay.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for the latest on this story.

You can read Bernstein's article right here.
http://www.miprepzone.com/oakland/results.asp?ID=20918