OGDEN, Utah (January 4, 2016)- The Big Sky has temporarily removed three women’s basketball officials from assignment for misapplication of a rule during the Northern Arizona-Montana State game in Bozeman, Mont. on January 2.
Lorena Ahumada, Sydney Mott and Josh Rombach have been suspended for one Big Sky game for failing to apply a rule correctly.
At the end of the fourth quarter, with the score tied at 71, the officials cleared the foul count. However, according to Rule 5, Section 9, Article 4, each extra period is an extension of the fourth period and therefore the team fouls should not have been cleared.
During the extra period, Northern Arizona was fouled a total of two times and Montana State was fouled over five times. Montana State went on to win the game 86-77.
The officials will be removed from an assignment, as a penalty, for one game, but will return to working status after the one-game removal.
“As a league, we are very supportive of our officials and defer to them for judgment calls,” said Big Sky Conference Commissioner Doug Fullerton. “But on an application of a rule, with three officials on the floor, we expect them to get it right. While we do not know if this misapplication had an effect on the outcome of the game, this misapplication cannot be ignored or tolerated and our officials must be held accountable for the mistake.”
Lorena Ahumada, Sydney Mott and Josh Rombach have been suspended for one Big Sky game for failing to apply a rule correctly.
At the end of the fourth quarter, with the score tied at 71, the officials cleared the foul count. However, according to Rule 5, Section 9, Article 4, each extra period is an extension of the fourth period and therefore the team fouls should not have been cleared.
During the extra period, Northern Arizona was fouled a total of two times and Montana State was fouled over five times. Montana State went on to win the game 86-77.
The officials will be removed from an assignment, as a penalty, for one game, but will return to working status after the one-game removal.
“As a league, we are very supportive of our officials and defer to them for judgment calls,” said Big Sky Conference Commissioner Doug Fullerton. “But on an application of a rule, with three officials on the floor, we expect them to get it right. While we do not know if this misapplication had an effect on the outcome of the game, this misapplication cannot be ignored or tolerated and our officials must be held accountable for the mistake.”