Camden advances to state final after an officiating error waved off a buzzer-beater. Here’s how everyone reacted.

For a moment, it looked like Manasquan pulled off a stunning upset of Camden in the NJSIAA Group 2 state semifinals at Central Regional High School. Griffin Linstra appeared to score at the buzzer to give Manasquan a would-be 47-46 victory over Camden on Tuesday.

But after a minute, the officials, who initially signaled a good basket, determined the shot was too late, allowing Camden to complete a 13-point comeback and advance to the state final against Arts High School in Newark.

This is the age of the internet, so there’s plenty of video available of Linstra’s final shot beating the buzzer. And on Wednesday, the NJSIAA said in a statement that after being shown video clips, the official who made the determination the shot came late agreed the basket should have counted.

“Unlike in college or the pros, there is no instant replay review in high school basketball in New Jersey,” the NJSIAA statement read. “These are the rules of the game that all schools agree to follow, and which have been upheld on appeal. We apologize to the Manasquan team for the error.”

Here’s another angle...

...and another that shows the scoreboard pretty clearly.

Many were unhappy with the officials after the game.

The basket would have been Manasquan’s only basket of the fourth quarter.

The fan verdict was clear — Manasquan got robbed.

Some even called for the NJSIAA to reverse the decision and give Manasquan the win. According to the Asbury Park Press, Manasquan superintendent Frank Kasyan said the school’s appeal immediately after the game was rejected and indicated the school district was exploring legal remedies.

Camden last won the NJSIAA Group 2 title in 2022 but withdrew from the field in 2023 after an on-court altercation between one of its players and an Eastside High player.