I agree with the thread title. If we had lost by single digits, I might consider pointing the finger at the horribly inconsistent reffing some.
But you can never expect to beat a ranked opponent on the road when you miss so many free throws, lay-ups, and even wide open threes.
You must ask yourself - if the bad calls had not been made such that the Gophers were ahead or in a close game instead of pressing to make 3s to catch up quickly, that they could have made more? I hate the excuse that
well, even though the refs destroyed us in the first half and helped to a 7 point deficit instead of what should have been a lead, that just because the team shot poorly in the second half while down by a bunch exemplifies the better team.
Now, really, you're talking situation basketball. First, if Blake doesn't get a phantom call for his 2nd foul of the game, how would the Gophers have done - better or worse? What about Joseph getting a phantom 2nd foul, or Westbrook? What if Westbrook gets the block instead of the charge? What if DJ accepts a charge instead getting called for the exact same block on the other end? What if Kramer doesn't get 4 free free throws when he deserved a foul and a missed layup? I mean really, the situation is
always different - maybe the Gophers would have lost by even more - who knows? What I do know, is that the first half was a reffing disaster (not much better in the second half either), and because of it, we will never know what would have happened given a better halftime situation.
Your argument is akin to the argument of the Miami football fans in the 2002 NC football game. Sure, that PI call was very questionable at best that allowed OSU to score the winning TD; however, had the refs not made a horrible call (pre-instant replay) on a 1st down catch by OSU on their second-to-last drive, OSU would have run the gameclock out and won the game without needing that call - of course, the first bad call in Miami's favor was completely forgotten about by 99% of viewers by the end of that game, because it wasn't done at the end of the game...but entirely changed the game situation, which allowed Miami a chance they didn't actually deserve...
My point is, the second half of tonight's game was immaterial. The game was lost by *&^!#*&^!#*&^!#*&^!#ty reffing in the first half and the Gophers really didn't have a chance in the second half - the refs were not going to allow that game to get close and ruin the Boilers perfect season on their home court. No way, no how.
