A contentious foul nearly cost Rutgers their first Big Ten victory of the season, but the Scarlet Knights managed to edge out the Ducks 88-85 in overtime.
With under 20 seconds remaining, freshman guard Reno Mark, who was having a standout night, secured a rebound from a missed free throw, putting Rutgers ahead by three. However, a perplexing foul was called on him, which allowed Oregon to stay in the game.
Oregon State quickly advanced the ball and, despite an initial miss on a game-winning three-pointer, guard Wei Lin hit the decisive shot with just 4.6 seconds left, sending the game into overtime.
Fans at Jersey Mike’s Arena made their frustration with the referees clear after the regulation buzzer sounded.
Even broadcaster John Fanta appeared taken aback by the unfolding drama.
“What is this…a foul?” he exclaimed during the broadcast. “They’re calling a foul on Reno Mark…Oh my god.” His disbelief continued as the play was replayed, leading him to comment, “Oh my god, that’s not a foul. That’s madness.”
Rutgers ultimately secured the win by outscoring the Ducks 12-9 in overtime.
Head coach Steve Pikiell remained mostly composed, saying he was focused on the future. “I’ll watch the film… I can’t review it, I can’t change it,” he mentioned. “I thought Reno did a great job on that play, and when they blew the whistle, I actually thought it was against the other team. But we held it together and did what mattered.”
Mark wrapped up the game with 13 points, while Tarik Francis led the team with 30.
Currently, Rutgers stands at 8-7 this season and 1-3 in the Big Ten.
