Late 3 by TCU leads to all-time March Madness bad beat for Gonzaga bettors
It was fitting that the NCAA Men's Tournament, after having two No. 1 seeds eliminated the first week, capped the second round with an all-time bad beat.
A basketball that bounced peacefully six times with the clock stopped played a crucial role for bettors in No. 3 Gonzaga's 84-81 win over No. 6 TCU in a West Region second-round contest on Sunday night in Denver.
Let's break down what happened that caused Gonzaga bettors who laid 4.5 points to rip up their betting tickets in disgust while helping TCU backers cash in.
Bettors sweated out the final five seconds of game time. Gonzaga led (and was covering) 82-75, but TCU's Rondel Walker made a 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds to go to make it 82-78.
[RELATED: NCAA men's bracket]
Gonzaga's Hunter Sallis was then fouled with .7 of a second left, and he went on to make both free throws. The Zags were covering again, 84-78.
Less than a second to go. What could possibly go wrong?
As any bettor will tell you, plenty.
TCU bounced the ball inbounds to keep the clock from starting. The Zags, with their Sweet 16 reservation confirmed, did not contest the Horned Frogs (two foes hugged near the top of the key as the ball was bouncing).
TCU's Damion Baugh picked up the ball inside the large mid-court logo and, without dribbling, let it fly as the buzzer sounded.
You know what happened next.
Nothin' but net, leading to an all-time bad beat for Gonzaga bettors.
What was the scene like in Vegas after the shot?
Patrick Everson, FOX Sports' guy on the scene in Sin City, said TCU's 3-pointer was good news for the sportsbooks.
Sunday's ending is up there with the most infamous bad beat in tourney history, which took place in the 2004 Final Four matchup between Duke and Connecticut. UConn came into the game as a 2.5-point favorite. The game was winding down, and then it happened. Blue Devils guard Chris Duhon banked in a meaningless 38-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to burn UConn bettors in the Huskies’ 79-78 win.
Sometimes as a bettor, all you can do is shake it off and hope you get the break on your next wager. In conclusion, FOX Sports' Jason McIntyre said it best.
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