It was fitting that the NCAA Men’s Tournament, after knocking off two top seeds in the first week, ended the second round with an all-time bad beat.
A basketball that bounced peacefully six times with the clock stopped played a crucial role for punters in No. 3 Gonzaga’s 84-81 victory over No. 6 TCU in a West Region second-round contest Sunday at the night in denver
We break down what happened that caused Gonzaga punters who put up 4.5 points to rip up their betting slips in disgust while helping TCU’s sponsors cash in.
Punters sweated out the last five seconds of game time. Gonzaga led (and was covering) 82-75, but TCU’s Rondel Walker hit a 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds left to make it 82-78.
[RELATED: NCAA men’s bracket]
Gonzaga’s Hunter Sallis was fouled with .7 seconds to play, and went on to make both free throws. The Zags covered again, 84-78.
Less than a second to go. What could go wrong?
As any punter will tell you, a lot.
TCU bounced the ball inbounds to prevent the clock from running out. The Zags, with their Sweet 16 berth confirmed, had no fight against the Horned Frogs (two foes hugged near the top of the key as the ball bounced).
TCU’s Damion Baugh caught the ball inside the large midcourt logo and, without dribbling, let it fly as the buzzer sounded.
You know what happened next.
Nothing but clean, leading to an all-time bad hitting for Gonzaga bettors.
What was the scene like in Las Vegas after the shooting?
Patrick Everson, FOX Sports’ man in Sin City, said TCU’s triple was good news for sports betting.
Sunday’s finale is up there with the most infamous bad beat in tournament history, which occurred in the 2004 Final Four matchup between Duke and Connecticut. UConn entered the game as a 2.5-point favorite. The game was ending and then it happened. Blue Devils guard Chris Duhon hit a nonsensical 38-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to burn UConn punters in the Huskies’ 79-78 victory.
Sometimes, as a bettor, all you can do is hang around and hope you get the break on your next bet. In conclusion, FOX Sports’ Jason McIntyre said it best.
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