"I've never seen this happen in basketball": Fans react to Ace Bailey-referee incident as Rutgers pull off Illinois upset

No. 23 Illinois (15-8, 7-6) suffered an unexpected 82-73 defeat at the hands of Rutgers (12-11, 5-7) on Wednesday night. Freshman forward Ace Bailey led the charge with 18 points, making his presence felt on both ends of the court.

The Scarlet Knights dominated early, restricting Illinois to just four points over an eight-and-a-half-minute stretch while jumping to a 19-6 lead. During that stretch, Rutgers controlled the boards, outrebounding Illinois 15-5 and establishing an advantage that stayed throughout the game.

Despite flashes of strong play in the second half, Illinois struggled to close the gap after entering halftime trailing by eight points.

One of the most unexpected moments of the game occurred when Ace Bailey inadvertently made a jump shot over a referee. The X page of Overtime posted a video of the play.

One viewer commented:

"I’ve never seen this happen in basketball."

"The ref set 2 screens for Ace lol," someone said.

"Ref know he going on SC Not 10 Ten lol," another one said.

"Haven’t seen this one before lmao," someone else said.

"Way better than cooper flag," another fan tweeted.

"Ref setting some good screens," someone else said.

"Ref took the under," another X used said.

"Ref followed up his moving screen with a strong blockout," someone said.

"At least contest with your arms raised ref sheesh," another tweet reads.

By the time the first half concluded, Illinois had made strides in the rebounding battle, narrowing the margin to just two. However, Rutgers still held a 37-29 lead. A key difference between the teams lay in their transition play — Rutgers capitalized on fast-break opportunities, outscoring Illinois 14-0.

The Scarlet Knights also took advantage of Illinois' ball-handling issues, converting seven turnovers into 11 points. Illinois’ lack of discipline with the ball ultimately cost them a chance to shift momentum.

Ace Bailey’s standout season gains recognition

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame revealed its list of the Top 10 candidates for the 2025 Julius Erving Award, with Bailey securing a spot among the nation's best.

Bailey has been on an impressive trajectory, inching closer to breaking Rutgers’ all-time freshman scoring record. Averaging 20.2 points per game, he ranked 11th nationally.

Earlier in the season, he delivered a historic performance against Indiana, scoring 39 points and matching the Big Ten freshman scoring record. His 16 field goals that night set records for both a Rutgers freshman and any Scarlet Knights player in a Big Ten contest.

Other standout performances included a 37-point game against Northwestern and a 30-point showing at Penn State.

Bailey’s efforts did not go unnoticed, as he earned two Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors and was also named Metropolitan Writers Player of the Week.

Fans have the opportunity to contribute to Bailey’s bid for the Julius Erving Award through online voting, beginning on Feb. 7 at hoophallawards.com. Fan votes count as a single selection.

In March, the list will be trimmed from 10 players to just five, with those finalists presented to an elite selection committee that includes Erving, Reggie Miller and other Hall of Fame representatives.