Two Teams Score on Own Hoops in Same Day
Northwestern State and New Mexico State both inadvertently added points to their opponents' tallies during Friday's games.
By Aiko Nakamura ·
College basketball produced a rare statistical anomaly on Friday when two separate teams credited points to their opponents by shooting into the wrong baskets. The incidents occurred in different conferences and involved different mechanics, yet both resulted in the scoring team reducing the point differential in favor of the opposition.
The first error happened during Northwestern State's game against Arkansas. After securing a defensive stop and an offensive foul, Lady Demons guard Karma Wynn took an inbounds pass in the backcourt. Instead of resetting the offense, Wynn shot the ball into the Arkansas hoop. The two points were added to the Razorbacks' total. Arkansas went on to win the game by a margin of 30 points, finishing with a score of 89 to 59.
A similar, though more complex, sequence unfolded in New Mexico State's contest against Southern Utah. With 20 seconds remaining, the Aggies trailed 61 to 60. Guard Emma Christiana stole an inbounds pass and drove toward the correct end of the court, but continued past the free-throw line into the opponent's territory. She laid the ball into the Southern Utah basket.
The play added two points to Southern Utah's score, changing the ledger to 63 to 60 in favor of the Thunderbirds. The scorekeeper did not adjust the official tally to reflect the change in possession immediately, leading to confusion on the broadcast. For a brief moment, the scoreboard indicated New Mexico State had taken the lead, despite Christiana's shot actually giving the away team the advantage.
New Mexico State recovered from the error in the final seconds. Freshman Stacy Chovino scored two points, including the game-winner with two seconds left. Her basket was made on the correct side of the court. The Aggies secured a 64 to 63 victory, overcoming the two points they effectively gifted to Southern Utah during the closing minute.
Both teams remained in contention for their respective conference standings following the games. The Northwestern State bench reacted with visible shock as their assistant coach held a clipboard over her face. In the New Mexico State arena, spectators appeared unaware of the score shift until the final whistle confirmed the Aggies' win. Neither team has yet issued a formal statement regarding the scoring irregularities.
