while playing against Florida State on SundayDuke women’s basketball coach Kara Lawson claimed that both teams played the first half with men’s basketball.
Lawson made the following claim Duke’s victory over Pittsburgh Thursday night, saying his players complained about basketball during a 70-57 loss to the Seminoles.
Duke Blue Devils head coach Kara Lawson, right, talks with Duke Blue Devils guard Vanessa de Jesus, #2, during a regular season non-conference women’s college basketball game between the Duke Blue Devils and the Toledo Rockets on November 20, 2022 at Wild Arena in Toledo, Ohio.
(Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
«Sunday we play Tallahassee. We play Florida State,» Lawson said Thursday night. «And during the game, throughout the game, in the first half, our players were complaining about the ball. So, at half time, we went in and talked as the coaching staff, I wasn’t part of that conversation, my assistants. I spoke with the players and they told me: ‘Something is wrong with the ball’.
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«My assistant coach, Winston Gandy, went to the table to look at the ball. And when he went to the table to look at the ball, he realized it was a man’s ball. And we had played the first half with a ball of men».
Lawson told reporters that the head referee looked at the basketball and switched to a women’s basketball for the second half.
Duke Blue Devils head coach Kara Lawson watches the action on the court during a regular season non-conference women’s college basketball game between the Duke Blue Devils and the Toledo Rockets on November 20, 2022 in the Savage Arena in Toledo, Ohio.
(Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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«It’s been very frustrating to have a mistake like that happen at this level of basketball that could have affected the outcome of the game,» Lawson continued. «Let me be clear: The state of Florida beat us. They beat us playing with a men’s ball in the first half and a women’s ball in the second half.
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Lawson said that Atlantic Coast Conference He was not allowed to appeal and protest the game, but said new rules have been put in place that require the captains of both teams to confirm that the correct ball is being used before the game.
«This would never happen in a men’s game. This would never happen,» Lawson added. «This just wouldn’t happen. And it’s embarrassing for our sport.»
Duke Blue Devils head coach Kara Lawson reacts to a call from officials during a regular season non-conference women’s college basketball game between the Duke Blue Devils and the Toledo Rockets on November 20, 2022. at the Savage Arena in Toledo, Ohio.
(Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
A women’s basketball is about one inch smaller than a men’s ball and about two ounces lighter.
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The ACC conducted its own investigation and said there was no evidence to support Lawson’s claim.
«After the thorough and objective review process, no evidence was found to support the claim,» the conference said in a statement. «Under NCAA game rules, there is no appeal or protest process.»
Associated Press contributed to this report