Richmond Epicly Melts Down in Final 4.7 Seconds

Renaldo Balkman says “Keep it together, guys.”

Bleacher Report

Mar 15, 2013

Renaldo Balkman says “Keep it together, guys.”

The Charlotte 49ers beat the Richmond Spiders, 68-63, on Thursday in the first round of the Atlantic 10 tournament, a game that ended with the 49ers making eight free throws in the final 4.7 seconds of regulation.

The explanation for those eight freebies is as byzantine as it is infuriating.

If you want a head start, you can place your hands on either side of your face…now.

We start with 5.9 seconds remaining in the game and Richmond leading, 63-60. Charlotte inbounds the ball to sophomore guard Pierria Henry. Instead of allowing Charlotte a chance to tie the game with a three, Richmond elects to foul Henry at midcourt with 4.7 seconds remaining.

Henry goes to the line for the front end of a one-and-one. As the shot is released, Richmond forward Derrick Williams (6’6″, 285) engages Charlotte forward Willie Clayton (6’8″, 236) in a battle for the rebound.

The shot falls, but not before Clayton wraps his hand around Williams’ head and Williams responds by warding Clayton off.

Basically, the pair were fighting for position, a sequence that would have gone totally unnoticed except that Clayton decided to throw his head backwards and stumble to the floor.

The refs whistle Williams—who, remember, has 50 pounds on Clayton—for a technical foul.

Charlotte now gets two more free throws in addition to the second free throw it was already due on the back end of the one-and-one.

Check out the rest of this article via our friends at Bleacher Report.

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Richmond Epicly Melts Down in Final 4.7 Seconds

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