ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 15, 1997 TAG: 9702180020
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
Correctable error or not, referee Rick Hartzell wishes he had replayed the final five seconds of the Duke-Virginia men's basketball game Tuesday night.
Hartzell said Friday he had no complaint with the one-game suspension handed his officiating crew, which included umpires Tim Higgins and Zelton Steed.
``It's unfortunate and it's personally very, very difficult,'' Hartzell said. ``It's devastating to me because of what's been done to the University of Virginia and especially its players.''
The ACC acknowledged the officials had made a ``serious'' mistake by not allowing UVa substitute Willie Dersch to replace Norman Nolan with five seconds remaining.
That prevented the Cavaliers from setting their defense - a common coaching move - before Steve Wojciechowski dribbled the length of the floor and was fouled by Nolan with seven-tenths of a second left.
After the officials watched a replay to determine how much time was on the clock, Wojciechowski sank two free throws and sixth-ranked Duke escaped with a 62-61 victory at University Hall.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said the foul could not be overturned because it was not a correctable error. ACC supervisor of officials Fred Barakat agreed.
Hartzell isn't so sure.
``If I had known then what I know now, I would have put five seconds back on the clock and sent Duke back to the baseline to in-bound the ball,'' Hartzell said.
``To my way of thinking, I would have considered it a scoring and timing error, which is reversible. I've talked to Tim Higgins, who has some experience with television replays, and he feels the same way.''
Hartzell made his judgment Tuesday after watching a black-and-white replay, which did not show the red light that flashes whenever the horn sounds. If he had watched ESPN's color monitor, he believes he would have seen the light.
Dersch said Tuesday night that an official - ``the tall official,'' Dersch called him - motioned to him as he approached the scorer's table. Dersch said he was replacing the shooter and could not enter at that time.
``I know it was me,'' Hartzell said. ``What [Dersch] said was the truth. I've seen the tape. I looked at him and I acknowledged that he was coming in the game to Zelton. We've done this [as a team] for maybe 25 games.''
Then why, when Nolan's second shot went in the basket to give the Cavaliers a 61-60 lead, did none of the officials stop play in order for Dersch to enter the game?
``What happened,'' Hartzell said, ``was that Nolan had missed the first one - I'm not saying it was a brick - but he missed by enough that I was thinking there was a pretty good chance he would miss the second one.
``I knew Duke didn't have any more timeouts, so I'm thinking I had better get my rear end down to the other end of the court and get a good look at whatever happens. As I turn to head the other way, I lose sight of Dersch.''
When asked about the situation after the game, Hartzell told pool reporter Rich Murray, ``I didn't see a sub there.'' He contended Friday his statement was accurate - that he didn't see Dersch after the second free throw.
``I don't feel the man is lying,'' Barakat said. ``I'm saying, he didn't process what he saw. I think he was already thinking about steps No.3 and 4 in the process and he forgot about 1 and 2.''
Hartzell, the athletic director at Bucknell University, said he left his office at midnight Thursday and had 21 phone messages, six faxes and several overnight mailings when he returned.
``I must have talked to a million people,'' he said. ``Basketball officiating is like heart surgery in that you can't have your mistakes back. I feel as bad about this as I can possibly feel.
``I feel bad, too, for Dick Engle and Cy Weaver. They were the scorer and timer Tuesday night. They're being blamed for this and it's all my fault. This is my responsibility.''
As UVa fights for a bid to the NCAA Tournament, it is possible the loss to Duke could become even more pivotal in coming weeks. The Cavaliers (15-9 overall, 5-7 ACC) need two and possibly three more wins to make the field.
``Don't you know we feel that, too?'' said Barakat, who has suspended officials before, but never publicly. ``If it's a block-charge call, we're not talking right now, [but] we made a dreadful mistake.
``We have pain in our hearts. I am sick over it for Virginia. I'm sick over it for the officials. Who wants to deal with this?''
No one - not the conference, not the officials and certainly not the Cavaliers - has been able to avoid it.
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