Manasquan goes to NJ judge to get basketball loss reversed

🏀Manasquan's Board of Education wants a judge to pause Saturday's championship

🏀The NJSIAA admits their mistake but says video reviews are not allowed

🏀Gov. Murphy called it "a crushing way to lose a game"

MANASQUAN — The local Board of Education has filed a lawsuit asking the NJSIAA to put Saturday's championship game on hold until a court can hear an appeal of their loss.

Manasquan lost their NJSIAA Group 2 semi-final game to Camden on Tuesday night after the referees disallowed a buzzer-beater by Manasquan's Griffin Linstra. The score was 46-45, denying Manasquan what would have been an upset victory.

Despite video showing the refs were incorrect, and the NJSIAA issuing an apology admitting the error, the organization is standing by its rule that audio and video cannot be used to review or challenge a decision.

"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," the NJSIAA said in a statement.

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"The NJSIAA should follow its own rules"

The decision did not sit well with Manasquan school superintendent who followed through with his promise to seek legal action and a review by the state Department of Education.

The Clark Law Firm filed for injunctive relief with a Superior Court judge in Toms River, asking for a delay to Saturday's championship game between Camden and Arts High School of Newark at Rutgers until the Manasquan game can be reviewed.

“Everyone recognizes and the video shows the original call was right. The correct call was made, the game was over and officials had left the court, only to return to overturn the correct call. The NJSIAA should follow its own rules under these circumstances and declare Manasquan the rightful winner," attorney Gerald Clark said in a statement.

The NJSIAA was preparing a statement Thursday afternoon when contacted by New Jersey 101.5.

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Support from Gov. Murphy, County Commissioner

Monmouth County Commissioner Director Tom Arnone said he was "disheartened" by the ref's call and the "inaction by the NJSIAA."

"While I appreciate the transparency and responsibility that the NJSIAA has taken in acknowledging that the call was wrong, I believe that they should overturn the outcome of the game and declare Manasquan as the rightful winner," Arnone said in a statement. "I genuinely hope that NJSIAA does the right thing and sends the Manasquan High School boys basketball team to the finals.”

Gov. Phil Murphy said the ref's decision was "a crushing way to lose a game" but didn't think there was anything he could do to reverse the call.

"Based on all the objective observations, the last-second shot by that kid went in. It left his hand rather before the buzzer. So I feel very badly for the players and coaches and their families that had one snatched from them from them," Murphy said during an unrelated event Thursday. "But apparently the NJSIAA is not going to review it and the the result is the result. God bless those kids with their coaches."

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