There was no controversy in this one.
The Camden boys basketball team routed Arts High School, 69-50, in the NJSIAA Group 2 final at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J. on Saturday after widespread outrage that it was in the title game.
In the semifinals, Camden beat Manasquan High School after referees incorrectly ruled that Griffin Linstra’s last-second shot, which had given Manasquan a buzzer-beater win, left his hand after the buzzer.
The shot had originally been called good, but an NJSIAA representative met with the referees on court, and they subsequently ruled that the basket was no good.
Replays showed that the ball had clearly left Linstra’s hand well before the buzzer, however.
There was an immediate uproar, and Manasquan tried to protest the game with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association and then appealed it to the Department of Education and the Appellate Division, but all sides denied Manasquan’s appeals to have the game replayed or to be declared the outright winners.
“One of the three officials counted the basket as beating the buzzer,” the NJSIAA said in a statement after the incident. “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.”
Manasquan was in attendance at Rutgers on Saturday for the final, and even gave Camden a standing applause after they won, according to multiple reports.
They were good sports on Saturday, but they certainly expressed their frustration in recent days.
“I still don’t know what happened,’’ Manasquan head coach Andrew Bilodeau previously told The Post’s Dan Martin. “I wish I could tell you. The basket was ruled good. It’s clear to see on the video. The place erupts. The official on site meets with the three officials. I don’t know what took place.
“They just said, ‘No basket, game over.’”