Sports

Power Outage Nearly Robbed Hofstra Fans Of Dramatic Finish Set Up By Officiating Malpractice

#College Basketball
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© Mark Konezny-Imagn Images


The Hofstra basketball team beat conference rival Towson in CAA Tournament action on Monday. As a result, the Pride will advance to the league’s championship game.

The contest was not decided until the final shot. A Hofstra buzzer beater lifted the squad. Fans listening to the radio broadcast nearly missed it!

With the score tied at 65-65, Hofstra freshman guard Preston Edmead banked a game-winning three-pointer off the glass for the win.

The victory pushed the program to its first CAA Title Game since 2020 when it last won the conference tournament. A March Madness appearance will be on the line when the Pride face Monmouth.

Power outage nearly robs Hofstra basketball listeners.

The WRHU radio call lost its feed in the final moments of action. Student play-by-play announcer Dylan Brett provided reasoning for the silence after the fact.

“The power went out on press row!” he said in a response on social media. “Inconceivable! Edmead’s game winner still went over air thankfully. Cut out about 15 seconds later.”

Brett confirmed that the call on the game-winner went out over the airwaves just before the power outage occurred.

WRHU is a college radio station owned and operated by Hofstra. It is the home of the New York Islanders and Pride sports.

Those listening along were nearly stripped of the opportunity to hear the final play. Luckily, the finish made the broadcast just before the electrical issue.

Hofstra won the game in dramatic fashion after being aided by a controversial call in the opening moments of overtime.

Officiating malpractice benefits Hofstra.

In the first 30 seconds of the extra session, a Pride player was fouled by Towson. He was not shooting the basketball. It did not stop officials from putting him at the line for two free throws.

The shooter would miss the first and make the second. That outcome is significant. Had the foul been called correctly on the floor, it would’ve presented a one-and-one scenario.

The first miss would’ve meant an empty free throw trip for the Pride.

That potentially played a factor in decision making at the buzzer. Had Hofstra been down a point rather that tied at 65-65 on the final possession, they might’ve tried to run an actual play.

Having the safety net of double overtime, the Pride ran zero offense. Instead, it settled for a contested fadeaway three that luckily banked in.

There is no way of knowing what the outcome would’ve been had that first foul been ruled correctly. There’s no doubt that decision making on both sides would’ve been impacted had there been one less Hofstra point on the board.

In the end, it doesn’t matter.

Hofstra is headed to the CAA Championship. It will attempt to book its NCAA Tournament ticket on Tuesday.