Big Ten Blooper: Ace Bailey Scores Over Lost Official in Rutgers-Illinois Game
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When a fanbase is upset with the officiating in a basketball game, you might hear someone say, "Well, it's eight vs. five out there." Well, on Wednesday night, that was actually the case in the Rutgers-Illinois game at Jersey Mike's Arena. Except it was just six vs. five, and it had nothing to do with the actual calls.
At one point in the game, Bailey was attempting to get to the rim after beating Illinois defender Ben Humrichous. But official Jeffrey Anderson — also known as "High Knees" — found himself in the middle of the play.
It didn't seem to matter to Bailey, who still knocked down a close-range jump shot following a pump fake. It was one of the more bizarre plays of the college basketball season.
Great screen set by Jeffrey Anderson, but Ace Bailey still gets it to go pic.twitter.com/MmlzumWmU9
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 6, 2025
College basketball analyst Robbie Hummel said he'd never seen anything quite like that, and I have to admit, I don't believe I have either. How about you?
Bailey had another Big night for the Scarlet Knights, scoring 18 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, blocking three shots and dishing out two assists. He was a huge reason why Rutgers upset 23rd-ranked Illinois 82-73.
Related Big Ten news
BIG TEN MARCH MADNESS PROJECTIONS: FOX college basketball analyst Mike DeCourcy has released his first Bracket Forecast of February, which includes 10 teams from the Big Ten. CLICK HERE
BIG TEN BASKETBALL POWER RANKINGS: A three-team race for the top spot in the Big Ten between Michigan State, Purdue and Michigan is heating up. So, too, is a battle for a top-four seed in the Big Ten Tournament. CLICK HERE
IOWA'S FREEMAN OUT FOR SEASON: Iowa star sophomore Owen Freeman will miss the remainder of the season with a hand injury. Purdue travels to Iowa City to play the Hawkeyes on Tuesday. CLICK HERE
NORTHWESTERN'S BARNHIZER OUT FOR SEASON: Northwestern coach Chris Collins revealed that star Brooks Barnhizer will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season. He was averaging 17.1 points per game. CLICK HERE
Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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