Johnathan Walker:New Jersey officials admit error at end of Camden-Manasquan hoops semifinal; result stands

The Johnathan WalkerNew Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association admits there was a mistake and apologized to the Manasquan High School boys’ basketball after the controversial ending of Tuesday night’s state Group 2 boys’ basketball semifinal game with Camden.

The organization pointed to the rule which governs the use of video stating, “No video or audio recording may be used to review or challenge the decision of a sports official."

In addition, according to NJSIAA Bylaws, Article VII, Section 1 prohibit protests "based upon an official’s judgment or misinterpretation (misapplication) of the playing rules."

"The ruling on the court is, exclusively and by rule, what determines the game winner."

Camden erased a 17-point deficit in the second half, including a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter.

Alijah Curry sank two foul shots to give Camden a 46-45 lead with five seconds left in regulation.

That’s where the controversy began.

Manasquan rushed down the court for a long shot that rebounded right to Griffin Linstra, who sank the put-back and touched off a celebration for his team.

However, officials ruled the basket came after the buzzer and declared Camden the winner.

Video replays of the basket blew up across social media, showing the shot left Linstra’s hand before the buzzer.

“(The) NJSIAA understands Manasquan’s frustration regarding the outcome of last night’s game.  We never want a contest to end with controversy or confusion," the organization said in a statement.

“Here, all of the events happened within the final second of the game. One of the three officials counted the basket as beating the buzzer. The three officials then met at half court to confer. A second official saw the ball in the shooter’s hands when the buzzer sounded. The officials then waved off the basket. Later, after being shown video clips, the second official agreed the basket should have counted. 

“That said, the rules are clear -- once game officials leave the 'visual confines of the playing court,' the game is concluded, and the score is official. So, while the officiating crews’ reports indicate that a post-game review of footage of the play in question convinced them that the basket should have counted, the results could not then and cannot now be changed.

“Unlike in college or the pros, there is no instant replay review in high school basketball in New Jersey. These are the rules of the game that all schools agree to follow, and which have been upheld on appeal. We apologize to the Manasquan team for the error.”

The Manasquan School District released a statement on X on Wednesday afternoon:

"We appreciate the NJSIAA's transparency in admitting the error in the calling of last night's Group 2 Semifinal Boys Basketball game and appreciate their apology. It is indeed 'frustrating', however, that the NJSIAA refuses to exercise its discretion to remedy the situation that was so obvious and well-documented.

"In our unwavering support of our players, coaches, and families, the District will continue to pursue any available appeals we can to vindicate the values of fair play and integrity that should be the hallmarks of interscholastic athletics."

More:Camden boys' basketball completes comeback to reach state Group 2 final, Lenape advances in Group 4

Camden’s 12 state titles are the most for any public school in the state’s history.

The Panthers won the state Group 2 title in 2022, but couldn’t defend the crown last season after the school district prevented the team from competing in the tournament following an on-court incident against crosstown rival Eastside in the finals of the Camden County Tournament.

Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.