Boston University’s Chance Gladden drained a 40-foot buzzer-beater to stun Navy 73-72 in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals, but a critical clock malfunction—where the clock failed to start on the final inbounds—has cast a shadow over the Terriers’ victory and all but ended the Midshipmen’s NCAA Tournament dreams.
The final seconds of a college basketball game are supposed to be a pure test of skill and nerve. What transpired at Navy’s home court on Sunday was that—and then some. Boston University emerged with a 73-72 victory to advance to the Patriot League Tournament championship, but the win will be forever linked to a timing error that directly influenced the game’s climactic moment.
With 3.6 seconds showing on the clock, Boston University inbounded the ball to senior guard Chance Gladden. Gladden caught, took two dribbles, and launched a 40-foot jump shot as the horn sounded, seemingly winning the game on a miraculous buzzer-beater. Immediate replays, however, revealed a glaring error: the game clock did not begin running when the ball was legally inbounded. At least one second elapsed before the clock started, meaning the actual time remaining when Gladden shot was less than 3.6 seconds.
Referees gathered at the scorer’s table to review the play. After several tense moments, head referee Sean Hull announced the decision to the crowd: “After further review, we have to put time on the clock. It did not start appropriately.” The officials ruled that 0.6 seconds would be added back to the clock, giving Navy a final chance.
Navy inbounded with the newly adjusted 0.6 seconds. Their only option was a full-court heave, which clanged off the rim as the buzzer sounded, sealing Boston University’s stunning 73-72 upset and sending the Terriers to Wednesday’s Patriot League championship game against No. 2 seed Lehigh.
The loss is a catastrophic setback for Navy’s season. The Midshipmen entered the game on a 14-game winning streak and had dominated the Patriot League with a 17-1 conference record and a 26-7 overall mark—their best win total since the 1986-87 seasonNY Post. For a program that rarely reaches such heights, the opportunity for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid was monumental. This defeat, especially in such anomalous fashion, effectively extinguishes those hopes.
Navy head coach Jon Perry, in his postgame remarks, could only point to the statistical discrepancy. “We outrebounded them. We took really good care of the ball. We scored more points in the paint. We had more second-chance points. We had more points off turnovers,” Perry told reporters. “If you look at the box score, the stats say you’re supposed to win that game”AOL Sports. His frustration was palpable, a mirror of the fanbase’s outrage over a technical error that decided a game 48 minutes of play could not.
Under NCAA rules, when an obvious timing error occurs, officials have the authority to correct the clock based on video evidence. The standard is to estimate how much time should have elapsed and adjust accordingly. In this case, they determined 0.6 seconds had run off before the clock began, a judgment that seems reasonable but is almost never applied in the waning moments of a tight game. The rarity of such a mid-play correction amplifies the controversy; most timing errors that are caught result in a dead ball and a jump ball or free throws, not a continuation with adjusted time.
For Boston University (18-14, 9-9 Patriot League), this is a program-altering win. The Terriers, seeded third, had already exceeded expectations by reaching the league tournament semifinals. Now, a victory over Lehigh on Wednesday would deliver their first Patriot League Tournament title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament that comes with it. Gladden’s shot—a 40-foot prayer—will be celebrated in Boston for years, even as the clock issue provides a lingering footnote.
The Midshipmen, meanwhile, must confront a nightmare scenario. With 26 wins and a No. 1 seed in their conference tournament, they were virtual locks for an at-large NCAA bid even if they lost here. But the combination of this shocking defeat, the manner of it, and potential ripple effects from other conference tournaments could drop them below the cut line on Selection Sunday. Their historic season may end not with a roar, but with a whimper over a stopped clock.
This game is a stark reminder of the razor-thin margins in mid-major college basketball. One play, or one equipment malfunction, can redefine a season’s narrative. For Navy, it’s a devastating “what-if” that will haunt their program. For Boston University, it’s a surreal triumph that blends pure heroics with a dose of fortuitous fortune. The debate over the correct ruling will continue, but the scoreboard will not change: BU 73, Navy 72.
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