Southern Cal coach Andy Enfield rips refs for costly 'wrong call' in NCAA loss to Miami

Todd Shanesy
Greenville News
University of Southern California Head Coach Andy Enfield  during the first half of the NCAA Div. 1 Men's Basketball Tournament preliminary round game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. Friday, March 18, 2022.

Five more seconds.

If a controversial call at the end of Miami's 68-66 win against Southern Cal in the first round of the NCAA tournament had happened five seconds later, it would have been double-checked by officials.

Two minutes or less, close calls are reviewed. That's the rule.

But with 2:05 on the clock, it stood.

A ball was called out of bounds off Southern Cal, and after a brief huddle by the refs, Miami was indeed awarded possession with a 60-59 lead. The Hurricanes went up by three and the Trojans, despite a rally, ran out of time as Drew Peterson had to force a 40-foot shot that barely missed.

"It was just the wrong call. It was very clear. Everybody saw it," Southern Cal coach Andy Enfield said. "I don't know what (the officials) discussed or didn't discuss. I don't know how you miss that call at a crucial part of the game in the NCAA Tournament. It went off (Miami's Sam) Waardenburg. It wasn't even close."

Miami (24-10), the No. 10 seed in the Midwest Regional, advances to play Sunday against No. 2 seed Auburn. Seventh-seeded Southern Cal finishes 26-8.

"We were one possession short," Enfield said. "...Very disappointing to lose like that."