ESPN Men's Basketball

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Big Ten has admitted an officiating error that could have cost Indiana a game it won in double overtime at Purdue last weekend.

Purdue's Carl Landry scored and was fouled with less than a second left in the first overtime on Saturday, but he then missed a free throw that would have won the game for the Boilermakers. Instead, the score remained tied and the Hoosiers won 75-73 after the second OT period.

The Big Ten said Tuesday that the officials incorrectly interpreted rules regarding a basket made at or near the expiration of the game clock.

"While the foul was correctly called before time expired, the conference office's weekly review process showed that the ball was still in the hand of the Purdue shooter at the expiration of the game clock," the Big Ten said in a statement.

According to NCAA rules, the field goal should not have counted and Landry should have been awarded two free throws, the Big Ten said.

"I'm just happy we won the game," Indiana coach Mike Davis said. "We really appreciate the Big Ten Conference's efforts to ensure that officiating is as thorough and objective as possible."

Had Landry made the free throw, Purdue would have won the game 64-63. Indiana athletic director Rick Greenspan said that result would have stood even with the Big Ten's acknowledgment of the officiating error.

"I don't know of any circumstance where a review of the situation like this could have made them go back and replay the end of the game or anything like that," Greenspan said.

Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press