It ain’t over ’til it’s over.
Even when the game has been decided.
Damion Baugh’s 3-pointer at the buzzer for TCU on Sunday night didn’t beat Gonzaga but it did cost plenty of bettors by making the final score 84-81.
Of vital importance to the gambling world, Gonzaga were 4.5 point favorites.
At Circa Sports in Las Vegas, fans reacted as if the shot had won or lost the game — as it did mean winning or losing for their wallets.
Some gamblers could be seen with their arms raised in triumph, while others put their hands on their heads in disbelief.
Hunter Sallis had made two free throws with 0.7 seconds remaining to give Gonzaga, the No. 3 seed in the West Region, an 84-78 lead.
Baugh, who had 15 points and eight rebounds in the game, let the ensuing inbound pass cross midcourt before picking it up and nonchalantly hitting an unlikely 3-pointer.
ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt, who does a “Bad Beats” show tweeted, “Ohhhhh! What a 3 from TCU! Magnificent execution. #SignificanttoSome.”
Jordan Schultz, NFL insider for theScore, tweeted, “Maybe the worst Bad Beat I’ve seen all year. Insane TCU cover.”
Gonzaga advances to play No. 2 UCLA in the Sweet 16 on Thursday, while TCU is heading home.
UCLA has been installed as a one-point favorite over Gonzaga for the game that is in Las Vegas.
The two West Coast powers played an epic Final Four game two seasons ago with Gonzaga prevailing 93-90 in overtime thanks to a halfcourt buzzer-beater by Jalen Suggs.
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It was the second bad beat for gamblers on Sunday.
At the end of Florida Atlantic’s 78-70 win over Fairleigh Dickinson, FAU’s Alijah Martin missed a dunk in the final seconds.
The over/under for the matchup was 148.5.
One of the most infamous bad beats in NCAA Tournament history came in 2004, when Duke’s Chris Duhon hit a long 3 at the buzzer in a 79-78 Connecticut win in which the line was 2.5 points.
