Northwestern State and New Mexico State teams score on wrong baskets in same day

Two women's college basketball teams scored on their own baskets on Friday, handing direct points to their opponents in separate games. The rare mistakes occurred during the same afternoon, with both incidents resulting in immediate shifts in momentum for the visiting teams.

The first error happened during Northwestern State's game against Arkansas. Lady Demons guard Karma Wynn was in the backcourt guarding the basket after an offensive foul. On an inbounds play, Wynn placed the ball into the Razorbacks' basket. Arkansas received the two points and went on to win the game 89-59. An assistant coach on the Northwestern State bench covered her face with a clipboard, while teammates reacted with visible shock.

The second incident occurred later in the day involving New Mexico State and Southern Utah. With more than 20 seconds left in the game, the Aggies trailed 61-60. Guard Emma Christiana stole an inbounds pass but continued toward the wrong end of the court. She laid the ball into her own basket, effectively giving Southern Utah a 63-60 lead. The initial reaction from Christiana and spectators suggested they believed the Aggies had taken the lead.

The confusion persisted because the scorekeeper did not immediately adjust for the basket. On the broadcast, the scoreboard indicated that New Mexico State was ahead, despite the physical reality of the score. The error went uncorrected until the final seconds of the game.

New Mexico State freshman Stacy Chovino scored twice in the closing moments. She hit the game-winning basket with two seconds remaining, correctly putting the ball into the opposing team's basket. The Aggies finished with a 64-63 victory over Southern Utah. The win came despite the team having added two points to their opponent's total in the final minute.

Both games concluded with the teams that made the errors playing to their regular schedules. Arkansas secured a decisive win over Northwestern State, while New Mexico State edged out Southern Utah in a close contest. The two instances of scoring on the wrong basket stand out as unusual occurrences in the current college basketball season.