A referee at Villanova-Wisconsin was just doing his job when an errant pass decided to hit him right in the face
After struggling for one half in the First Round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament, the Villanova Wildcats faced an unwelcoming task on Saturday afternoon. A Second Round matchup with the Wisconsin Badgers awaited them, a team that was grossly under-seeded by the Selection Committee. Sure enough, the defending champs found themselves in a dogfight in their matchup.
The lead changed hands on numerous occasions and the margin of those leads rarely crept past three points or so. Needless to say, the tension in the building was high and the play started to get a bit frenetic at moments. One such moment wound up with one of the game’s referees wishing that things would settle down a bit—or that’s what you’d have to expect.
Villanova procured a loose ball and looked to push it up the floor to try and beat the Badgers down the floor. However, they were unable to get a firm grasp on the loose ball it seems and the ensuing outlet pass went awry. It stayed inbounds, though, thanks to the help from one ref’s face getting in the way of the errant pass, with the deflection keeping the ball on the floor:
Of course, Villanova failed to capitalize on the fortunate break (or the ref’s misfortune, depending on your view) and turned it over immediately after.
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The ref joins CBS broadcaster Verne Lundquist in taking a rogue basketball to the face on Saturday, as an epidemic is apparently upon the NCAA Tournament:
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Let’s make sure everyone in Buffalo keeps their head on a swivel from here on out. Apparently the basketballs have an affinity for hitting people right in the kisser. Considering that’s not a fun experience on the receiving end, it’s best to stay aware.