Controversial Call Ends Tournament Run for Women’s Basketball; Troy Athletics, Head Coach Chanda Rigby and Sun Belt Conference Release Official Statements

Friday, March 3

Pensacola, Fla.

2 p.m.

Troy University

17-13,12-6Sun Belt

Old Dominion

22-11,12-6Sun Belt

Old Dominion

Troy

Controversial Call Ends Tournament Run for Women’s Basketball; Troy Athletics, Head Coach Chanda Rigby and Sun Belt Conference Release Official Statements

3/3/2023 8:40:00 PM | Basketball (W)

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By: Troy Athletics Communications

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Down one, 84-83, with 4.7 seconds left, Old Dominion illegally had six players on the court to execute a wide-open layup by Amari Young that cost Troy a chance to advance to the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals in the Pensacola Bay Center. The controversial missed call resulted in Troy's 86-83 loss on Friday afternoon.

The Trojans (17-13) never quit, finding themselves down by 18 points with 7:55 left in the fourth before they outscored the Monarchs (22-11) 28-11 to roar back before the missed call.

Troy Athletics Official Statement
"We are incredibly proud of the fight and the determination shown by our women's basketball program in today's game. It is extremely unfortunate that a mistake by the officials marred the outcome of this game. We hurt for our players and coaches."

"We appreciate the leadership of the Sun Belt Conference for their swift action and acknowledgement of this mistake."

Head Coach Chanda Rigby
"We are very thankful to represent Troy at this tournament. We appreciate the Sun Belt Conference. It's a professionally run tournament. Things happen. But I don't agree with the fact that it wasn't correctable. I don't agree with that because Old Dominion had been able to stop the games many times for things. And this was pretty big. Back in the day before technology, maybe this call would stand true once the officials leave the floor. With reviewable evidence, everyone is going to see it. I don't want the officials to be shown in a bad light. I wanted to give them a chance to correct it. Just like how I wanted my players to have a chance. That call would have been a technical, down by one. We would've gotten two free throws with an 82 percent free throw shooter and we would've gotten the ball back. But now it's over. I don't think anybody wants that. I don't want it to look bad on this tournament but I'm going to fight for my girls. We made one of the greatest comebacks in this tournament's history. We did it fair and square and we did it with heart. It's difficult to go in and explain this to the players. I want them to leave with a great impression of this tournament and to be a Troy Trojan. But it's hard to find the words."

Summary
Makayia Hallmon couldn't be stopped on the offensive end, ending the tournament run with 26 points on 12-of-24 from the field. Behind her were Amber Leggett and Jada Walton, who finished in double-figures with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Of those points, 10 and eight, respectively, were scored in the fourth quarter to mount the comeback.

Young scored 29 points, with her final two being the lay-in that resulted from the missed call. She also led ODU in rebounds with nine. Makayla Dickens did her part with a 14-point performance. In the end, the Monarchs shot 50 percent from deep on 11 makes to win the game.

Never Gave Up
Troy was down 73-55 with 7:55 left after Young drove inside for the layup off the Jordan McLaughin defensive rebound.

The following possession saw Leggett propel her way through the ODU defense and hit the layup, 73-57, that would change the tide for Troy with 7:35 to go.

Neither team scored again until the 3:28 mark of the fourth when Young turned the ball over to Ke'Ajia Williams, hitting Walton, who drove inside for the lay-in, 73-59. Sharonica Hartsfield stole the ball again on the next possession, resulting in another fastbreak layup, 73-61.

Another steal by Walton, with 6:06 left, led to a Leggett layup that got blocked, only to end up in her hands again to convert the second-chance driving layup, 73-63.

Dickens ended the run for Troy with a triple, but Walton was there for the response inside the paint with 5:28 left, 76-65.

The extra effort by Troy resulted in a jumpball situation, and Young missed her jump shot. Leggett grabbed the miss and passed it to Hallmon, who pulled up from inside the paint to trim the deficit to single digits, 76-67.

The Trojans wouldn't let up, responding to every make by ODU with one of their own, cutting the deficit down to one possession when Tai'Sheka Porchia got the assist from Leggett and hit her ninth point of the game in the paint at the 8:59 mark, 82-79.

Young hit a huge jump shot in the paint to pull the lead back to five, 84-7 before Hallmon and Leggett went back-to-back with driving lay-ins to bring the score down to within one, 84-83, with 0:47 left.

Troy had an opportunity to bang in the game-winning two, but a miss by Hallmon with 0:06 left gave ODU the ball with 0:04 left. ODU followed it with a timeout to write the controversial play that included six players on the court, ending Troy's two-year streak of appearing in the SBC Championship game.

Sun Belt Conference Official Statement
"The Sun Belt Conference, upon review of the inbounds play with 4.7 seconds remaining in the Old Dominion vs. Troy women's basketball game, has announced an incorrect adjudication of the playing rules."

"Old Dominion had six players on the playing court when the ball became live. Pursuant to Rule 10, Section 12, Article 2.f, Troy should have been awarded two free throws, followed by a throw-in at the point of interruption."

"This violation is not included on the list of calls a coach may appeal using replay and had to be recognized before the officials left the visual confines of the playing court."

"I apologize to head coach Chanda Rigby, the Troy women's basketball student-athletes and the Troy community for the manner in which the end of the game was officiated. No one wants a game to end this way—especially during the postseason," said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill."

"These officials will not receive another assignment in the Sun Belt Women's Basketball Championship."
"The Sun Belt Conference will work with the NCAA Women's Basketball Rules Committee to review and assess the list of appealable calls using replay moving forward."