Did a Blown Travel Call Help Texas Tech Upset Oklahoma?

Texas Tech upset No. 3 Oklahoma, 65-63, Wednesday night in Lubbock thanks to a total team effort. The officials opting not to call a blatant travel (2:45 mark in video above) in the game’s final second may also have helped.

Red Raiders guard Toddrick Gotcher rebounded a Ryan Spangler miss with 2.6 seconds left and attempted to dribble out the clock. The problem is he stopped bouncing the basketball and began running with a full second remaining. It certainly appears he should have been whistled for travelling.

"“I think I picked the ball up and started running before the time was out, but I don’t know,” said the senior guard who hit a key 3-pointer down the stretch. “Then I seen a big black wave of people. That was the best feeling in the world. And I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life.”"

Sooners fans have a legitimate beef about the no-call. But let’s pump the breaks on the controversy train. Had it been properly officiated, Oklahoma would have had one last-ditch effort to tie or win with less than a .5 seconds left on the clock. The probability of converting such a scenario is minuscule.

It’s tough to get too worked up about officials letting the chaos of the moment get the best of them in a college basketball world where this type of injustice exists.