Chicago State somehow turned a 100% win probability into an overtime loss by calling a timeout it didn’t have with 0.1 seconds left, giving Stonehill the lifeline it needed.
The Anatomy of a Collapse
With 0.1 seconds on the clock and a two-point lead, Chicago State only needed to inbound the ball anywhere on the floor—preferably 94 feet from its own rim—to clinch a desperately needed Northeast Conference victory. Instead, a voice on the Cougar bench screamed for time-out. The problem: the Cougars had burned their last timeout on the previous dead ball. Referee whistle, technical foul, two Stonehill free throws, 85-82 final in OT. The swing from 100% win probability to 0% took exactly 0.1 seconds.
Why the Call Was Made—and Who Made It
Television replays pick up freshman guard Doyel Cockrill III—the hero who had stolen the ball and drilled a go-ahead three five seconds earlier—pivoting toward the Chicago State huddle with his palms up. Head coach Landon Bussie insists he did not signal, but NCAA rules assign the technical to the bench regardless of whether a player or coach yells. In the post-game presser Bussie took responsibility: “That’s on us. We prepare for end-game every day. Today we failed the test.”
Stonehill’s One-in-a-Million Escape
Before the whistle, the Skyhawks’ win probability sat at 0.6%. They had no timeouts, no realistic way to force a turnover, and 94 feet to cover for a heave. Junior guard Hermann Koffi, a 77% career foul shooter, coolly buried both technical free throws, then added five more in overtime to finish with a game-high 26. Stonehill is now 5-11 overall, 2-2 in NEC play—very much alive in the league race—while Chicago State drops to 2-14, 0-4.
Historical Context: Where This Ranks
- Chris Webber, 1993: Called timeout down two, 0:11 left, national-title stage. Still the NCAA gold standard for mental lapses.
- 2017 USC vs. SMU: Trojans’ Elijah Stewart inbounded off an SMU player, then signaled timeout with none left—technical, but game already out of reach.
- 2022 Saint Joseph’s vs. La Salle: Hawks up three, 1.2 left, called TO with zero left; Explorers hit one FT, still lost by two.
None match the combination of score, time and certainty. Yahoo Sports data shows Chicago State’s in-game win probability peaked at 99.4%—higher than Webber’s 94% moment—making Saturday’s gaffe arguably the most costly timeout in college-basketball history.
What It Means for Chicago State
The Cougars left the WAC for independence in 2022, chasing scheduling flexibility and a clearer NCAA tournament path. Results have cratered: 6-26 last year, 354th on KenPom entering the weekend. Recruiting is uphill in the Chicago mid-major shadow of DePaul, Loyola and Northwestern. A victory over 346th-ranked Stonehill would have been a rare résumé bullet and emotional oxygen for a program fighting for relevance. Instead, the clip will live on highlight reels forever, a teaching tool for every coach in America—and a nightmare rerun for everyone in navy and gold.
Immediate Fallout & Moving Forward
Expect Bussie to install a new late-game protocol: only the head coach can request a timeout, verified by an assistant counting remaining TOs on a whiteboard. The NCAA rules committee has discussed switching to an NFL-style official review for dead-ball timeouts, but cost and pace-of-play concerns have stalled legislation. Don’t expect reform until a Power-Five program suffers the same fate on network TV in March.
For Chicago State, the only remedy is winning. The Cougars visit 3-12 Central Michigan next, then open a three-game NEC homestand against Wagner, LIU and Mercyhurst. If they want this clip buried, they’ll need to author a streak that forces fans to remember something—anything—else.
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