Gordon Hayward grabbed a loose ball and put in a layup with 1.2 seconds left, giving No. 21 Butler a 69-68 victory over Xavier on Saturday.
It almost didn't count.
Officials ruled the clock had inadvertently stopped briefly during Butler's final possession. During the replay review, which lasted more than five minutes, officials used a stopwatch to determine how much time to run off.
They counted the basket but ran the remaining 1.2 seconds off, taking away Xavier's last chance to win. Afterward, Musketeers coach Chris Mack waved his hand in disgust at the officials, and Xavier players were instructed by Butler athletic director Barry Collier to leave the court quickly.
Throngs of Xavier fans who made the roughly two-hour drive from Cincinnati to Indianapolis were dismayed. Some raised their hands in disbelief, while others booed loudly as they left Hinkle Fieldhouse.
It was a wild finish to an entertaining game between two of the Midwest's best non-BCS schools.
Hayward had 22 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs (8-3), who ended a seven-game home losing streak to the Musketeers, which dated to 1989. Shelvin Mack finished with 14 points and Willie Veasley had 13.
Xavier (6-4) was led by former Indiana Hoosier Jordan Crawford, who scored 20 points. Jason Love had 14 points and seven rebounds.
The Musketeers led most of the second half only to lose in the mad scramble at the end after shooting 69.6 percent over the final 20 minutes.
The Bulldogs took the lead three times in the final 2:36, the last coming on Hayward's winning layup. The possession started when Hayward tied up Mark Lyons with 36.9 seconds left, forcing a jump ball that went to Butler. Twice on the possession, the Bulldogs missed 3-pointers and grabbed rebounds. They barely avoided a turnover when officials ruled Xavier had tipped the ball into the backcourt.
Somehow in the waning seconds, Hayward got the ball right underneath the basket, jumped up and put in the winner.
Xavier maintained its second-half lead until Butler turned a rare Musketeers miscue into two free throws by Ronald Nored, which tied the score at 60 with 4:07 left.
Xavier retook the lead when Love hit a 7-foot baseline jumper to make 66-65 with 1:32 to go. But after Crawford hit a tough 19-footer with 46.7 seconds left, Butler got within 68-67 on two free throws from Mack.
Butler hit eight of its first 10 shots, including five 3-pointers, to take a 23-12 lead midway through the first half. The Bulldogs led by as much as 32-17 in the first half.
Xavier, behind 3-point specialist Brad Redford, trimmed the margin from 12 to 39-32 in the last 63 seconds of the half, then carried the momentum into the second half.
The Musketeers scored the first 11 points, taking their first lead of the game when Crawford's 3 made 41-39 with 17:39 to go.
