Agreed, but this will be a good (and cheap) lesson to cheerleaders everywhere to leave the ball alone.

I do wonder, though, whether they would have called this T if a player had launched the ball like that.

There's a video at the link in the OP, and it's hard to tell on my screen for sure, but it looks like the timer lets the clock run all the way down after the ball is thrown. So, when it was thrown, the clock was stopped (presumably at .5, it's hard for me to tell).

I can't hear the horn, either, so that's hard to tell.

If that's correct, then you've got the cheerleaders on the court celebrating with time still on the clock.

Now, another question is coaching. Why in the world would he take that shot?

YouTube - Louisville cheerleader almost costs them the game

There is the video for everyone to see. If you watch the video around :18 seconds you will see the clock is down .3, and then the cheerleader jumps for joy and grabs the ball and tossed it in the air before the old L --> new T, blows his whistle.

They went back and looked at the monitor to determind how much time was left after the ball went through the basket at .5. That is where it should have stopped and played should have resumed from there except for the bonehead T for the cheerleader.

I hope this helps everyone.

Which means the CL tossing the ball delayed the game; unless the officials would have checked the monitor with .3 seconds showing on the clock and a 5 point lead.

It is a stretch to say the cheerleader 'almost' cost them the game. Both FTs would need to be successful and a successful 3 pointer inbounded with.5 left. Not impossible. But, extremely improbable.

Thanks Bleach. The clock had most definitely stopped after the dunk and was still sitting on 0.03 after the cheerleader launched the ball. Then for some reason they restarted the clock.

So the video review was to see where the clock should be reset to at which time they reset it to 0.05 instead of 0.03.

So, IMO, it was a righteous T.

The timer just signed a new 3 year deal...:)

Yeah, the audacity of a coach to support a break-away gimme to make it a two possession game with fractional time left.

Pitino should have foreseen this flaming meteor.

Good grief.

Sorry, did you need me to put a smilie on that?

99% (SWAG) of the time they will check the monitor in this situation.

IF you see it live, it makes more sense. The great thing is this cheerleader has a lot of pretty young southern ladies to help ease him through this difficult time:D Who is the fool now!

He actually wasn't really that happy the kid took the shot. He could have just dribbled the clock out.
And BTW, there was someone else in the stands who REALLY looked like Col Sanders!

Maybe, but if he'd have cost Louisville that game, he'd have needed to move to Lexington or Memphis to get so much as a sniff of perfume.

Watching the replay right now on CBS College Sports, & there were a couple of goof ups by the timer.

After seeing the replay on CBS College Sports, the officiating crew was right in assessing the T.

The clock did happen to stop at 0.3, however without the ball being out into play except by the "Yell King" the clock did restart without Pitt inbounding.

The time should not of ticked off so there was a delay of game due to the game not being yet over.