3-Point Line Dimensions at Portland Regional Didn’t Match

Texas, NC State agree to play through INCONSISTENT 3-point lines

Texas, NC State agree to play through INCONSISTENT 3-point lines | Image: ESPN/YouTube

In a famous movie moment from “Hoosiers,” Gene Hackman’s character pulls out a measuring tape to demonstrate to his team that the court’s dimensions are standard, aiming to boost their confidence before a big game at a larger venue.

The situation echoed at the Portland Regional during the 2024 Women’s Basketball Tournament held at Moda Arena. Only on Sunday, after several games had already taken place, it was disclosed that the distances of the 3-point lines didn’t match up.

The discrepancy came to light when Texas coach Vic Schaefer and North Carolina State coach Wes Moore met with officials during warmups to discuss the issue; a tape measure was brought out to confirm the problem.

According to the ESPN broadcast, the two teams agreed to proceed with the game despite the abnormal 3-point line placements. The No. 3 seed Wolfpack defeated the top-seeded Texas team 76-66, securing a spot in the Final Four. What added to the oddity was the belated realization or acknowledgment of the issue.

It wasn’t until after the Sweet 16 matchups between NC State and Stanford, Texas and Gonzaga, UConn and Duke, and Baylor and Southern California had taken place that the differing 3-point line distances were brought to attention, despite being visibly noticeable.

The NCAA responded to the unusual circumstance Sunday afternoon, issuing a statement that read in part, “The NCAA was notified today that the three-point lines on the court at Moda Center in Portland are not the same distance.”

“The two head coaches were made aware of the discrepancy and elected to play a complete game on the court as is, rather than correcting the court and delaying the game. The court will be corrected before tomorrow’s game in Portland.”

The last match scheduled to be held in Portland, with a Final Four berth at stake, will feature No. 1 seed Southern Cal against No. 3 seed UConn.

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