WATCH: Miami guard Nijel Pack hits incredible circus shot, waived off by officials
The first half of Sunday’s matchup with Texas and Miami saw Nijel Pack hit one of the best shots of the tournament — that didn’t count. Pack was forced towards the sideline as he drove to the basket, and threw up an incredibly difficult shot attempt that sailed well over the backboard and into the hoop perfectly.
Unfortunately, the shot went over the backboard from behind, disallowing the score and giving the ball back to Texas.
Nijel Pack hits incredible shot
Immediately after the shot, the referee made the call and waived it off — with Pack and Miami coach Jim Larranaga protesting that it didn’t go fully over the back of the backboard. The official who made the call disagreed, and replay showed that the ball did appear to fully clear the backboard despite coming from the side of the hoop.
Miami and Texas put on an offensive show for fans throughout the entire first half, with the Longhorns holding a 45-37 lead into the locker rooms at halftime. Although his trick shot didn’t count, Pack had seven points in the half while teammate Jordan Miller had 13 points to lead the Hurricanes scoring attack.
Across the court, Texas had Marcus Carr and Timmy Allen lead their attack with 10 points each. Both teams were on an offensive tear, with Miami shooting 64 percent from the field to Texas’ 54.8 percent. One of the biggest differences in the first half was the sheer volume of three-point attempts and makes by Texas. Miami made two of their three attempts from outside the arc, while the Longhorns made 7-of-13 attempts.