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Bill Rafferty, fans stunned by ‘mind-boggling’ final play of regulation from Johnell Davis, FAU

Ethan Stone

By Ethan Stone

Published:

Johnell Davis left a lot to be desired on FAU’s final possession of regulation during Friday’s loss to Northwestern.

Northwestern had tied the game at 58 with under 10 seconds to go, but still plenty of time. Davis received a pass and took the ball up the court slowly, with no sense of urgency despite there being plenty of time to drive to the basket or find an open man.

No, instead he opted for a very bizarre pullup with 2 seconds still on the clock and a pair of defenders right in his face. Bill Rafferty, who was on call for the game, was flabbergasted by his decision.

The rest of the country (and FAU bettors) shared Rafferty’s sentiment. Many fans called the decision “mind-boggling” and among the worst finishes they had ever seen. Northwestern went on to dominate the Owls in overtime, blitzing their way to a 77-65 win.

Here’s a look at some of the reaction from around social media:

What’s Next for Northwestern?

The Wildcats played well Friday and move on to the Round of 32 to face off against the winner of UConn and Stetson. The Huskies are currently the favorite to win the national title according to several sports betting apps, so the Wildcats will certainly have their work cut out for them should the Huskies avoid what would be a historic upset.

But don’t count Chris Collins and the Wildcats out. Northwestern stunned everyone earlier in the season by downing Zach Edey and Purdue, and it’s hard to count an electric guard like Boo Buie out of any matchup.

The Wildcats will face their Round of 32 opponent in Brooklyn on Sunday.

Ethan Stone

Ethan Stone was an editor for his student newspaper at the University of Tennessee and is now a News Manager for Saturday Tradition.