FREMONT, Neb. (KMTV) — York University men's basketball coach Tree Burks didn't understand why his team entered halftime of last Friday's game at Midland University in Fremont down 43-38, but returned from the locker room to a 44-38 score.
He said in a Facebook video on Friday that his basketball program, from a small private Christian school in York, Nebraska, feels there was an "injustice" during the game.
The one-point difference might not have been significant if the game wasn't so close. But the Midland Warriors won the game over the York Panthers in overtime, 92-87.
With 7:21 left in the first half, Midland's Jack Cooper went to the free-throw line. Midland's play-by-play record and box score show he made them both.
But he didn't. Midland's webcastof the game shows he missed the first of the two free throws. The broadcast's scoreboard didn't add a point for the missed free throw, but a point was added at halftime.
Burks told 3 News Now he discovered the error after the game while going through the play-by-play and broadcast with his wife.
"No one wants to win or lose this way," said Midland Athletic Director Courtney Thomsen in a statement to 3 News Now. "We will continue to work with conference commissioners to make sure we can prevent a situation like this from happening in the future."
Midland Athletics said in the statement that the point was awarded when a score discrepancy was discovered, and both coaches were made aware at halftime. Officials explained that Midland's official book was final.
"The officials asked if anyone had taken stats to prove otherwise, and none were available, so the scoring change stood," the statement reads.
"The NAIA has determined that any correction of the scoring error had to occur during the contest, and that the outcome of the game would not be changed," Midland's statement says. "This is in agreement with the official by-laws of the game. Administrations from both universities have been involved and the issue is deemed resolved."
The NAIA does not have an appeal process for a case like this and consulted with York University on the issue. Burks said they tried to appeal.
Burks said he was asked at halftime if they were keeping their own book to show Midland's record might have been inaccurate. He said it's not standard for a visiting team to keep their own book at this level of college basketball.
"What do I tell my (players)?" Burks said in the Facebook post. "They feel there was an injustice. They feel they should have won the game. How do you give someone a point they didn't earn? I don't understand that."
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