CBS’ Gene Steratore on late Xavier-Kennesaw State possession: ‘It’s a really good no-call’

Xavier Musketeers forward Jerome Hunter (2) and Kennesaw State Owls guard Terrell Burden (1) compete for a loose ball in the first half of a first-round college basketball game between the Kennesaw State Owls and the Xavier Musketeers in the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 17, 2023, at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.

In the final seconds of the Xavier Musketeers’ come-from-behind 72-67 win Friday against Kennesaw State in the NCAA tournament first round, the Owls took exception to officials not calling a foul on Terrell Burden’s drive for a layup that was blocked by XU’s Jack Nunge, or another as Kennesaw’s Spencer Rodgers attempted to secure the rebound when the Muskies’ Colby Jones and Jerome Hunter poked the ball away.

Play-by-play broadcaster Ian Eagle asked rules analyst Gene Steratore during the broadcast whether anything stood out as a foul upon review.

“Not to me, Ian,” Steratore replied. “Really, I mean, after the miss, to me the ball really is never physically possessed. And I think Hunter gets hands on ball. And you’ve got two players that are still trying to fight for a possession there of that basketball. I think it’s a really good no-call. Two guys trying to secure possession. You watch here, not real firm control. And Hunter gets both hands in there. You know, there’s a little bit of arms either way. But that ball kind of is still loose in that space. And you’ve got two players fighting like heck to get possession and try to finish this thing really well.”

Color analyst Jim Spanarkel examined the play after Xavier head coach Sean Miller’s on-court postgame interview with Evan Washburn.

“Watch No. 3 (Colby Jones) in white. The contact here is what Kennesaw State … you see his hand kind of whack the right hand. … See how it came in and grabbed his right hand? I think that’s where they were really arguing it also.”

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Late Xavier-Kennesaw NCAA play really good no-call, per CBS’ Steratore