Dawn Staley defends referees after South Carolina’s Sweet 16 win over Maryland
After South Carolina’s win against Maryland in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley defended the referees’ decisions, including a call made in the last few seconds of the game.
During a postgame news conference, a reporter referenced the “animated” conversations they saw Staley having with some of the officials and questioned how their choices affected the flow of the game.
“The officials have a hard job,” Staley said. “They’ve got a really hard job. I don’t even have thick enough skin to do their job. The animation (you saw) was probably more we had a jokingly conversation rather than really a heated conversation. They’re really good at just communicating out there on the floor. And that’s why … they’re officiating in the Sweet 16 and probably some of them on their way to the Final 4s because they’re able to handle those types of situations, communicate with the coaches in a way that just really de-escalates the situation.”
And, she added, they have to take every moment seriously, including a call made in the last few seconds that would not have impacted the game’s final outcome.
“They have to do that,” Staley said. “They’re being graded. They can’t just say OK it’s .5, the game is in hand. They can’t do that, because ignoring those situations will decrease their opportunity to go further in the NCAA tournament.”
The Gamecocks beat Maryland 71-67 in a game that was a nail-biter throughout every quarter. The team struggled with turnovers and never created a significant lead until the very end of the game.
The Gamecocks’ next game will be Sunday in the Elite Eight.
