Miner’s Three-Pointer an Illusion, but USC’s Beating UCLA Is Not

USC’s Harold Miner was incorrectly given a three-point basket with 3:11 left in the Trojans’ 76-75 victory over UCLA Thursday at the Sports Arena, videotape of the game shows.

The videotape, shown on television news programs after the game and again Friday night, shows that Miner’s feet were inside the three-point line when he made a shot from the top of the key to give the Trojans a 73-70 lead. The shot should have counted only two points.

Pacific 10 Conference rules, however, do not allow for instant replay to correct errors in judgment, said Frank McIntyre, the conference’s supervisor of basketball officials.

“If they’ve missed it, they’ve missed it,” McIntyre said of officials Booker Turner, Tom Harrington and Robert Sitov.

Said USC Coach George Raveling: “Unless we’re going to go through the film and list all the errors that were made in favor of one team or the other, then why list one where Miner’s foot was inside the line on a three-point shot? We’re going to take one isolated play and say, ‘Did this get the Bruins beat?’ But we won’t use anything else in the film, and that will solidify that the Bruins got screwed?

“I don’t think that’s fair or objective. They can say whatever they want. It’s in the record books now.”