Furious Canberra Capitals coach Paul Goriss says his team were denied a WNBL grand final series sweep due to some "flabbergasting" refereeing in Wednesday's heartbreaking Game 2 defeat to the Adelaide Lightning.
After winning Game 1 handsomely, the Capitals led Game 2 by a point with 5.5 seconds remaining but were denied when Lauren Nicholson passed to Adelaide co-captain Nicole Seekamp who produced a miracle buzzer-beating match-winner for a 74-73 victory, tying the series.
Goriss is convinced Seekamp's shot was too late and should have been disallowed, while also hinting Nicholson picked up her dribble in her haste to motor the ball up the court.
Slow-motion replays suggest Goriss has a genuine gripe on both counts.
"Everybody just go back and watch the film. Everybody go back and watch the light (on the scoreboard) light up (with the ball still in Seekamp's hands)," he said.
"If everybody has a look at the last five seconds and the last under one second, I think everyone will see the truth.
"I'm at a loss to know some of the calls and some of the situations that people were put under.
"I just don't know, I'm flabbergasted how the game was, especially in that second half."
Asked whether American point guard Leilani Mitchell's unsportsmanlike foul on Nia Coffey late in the fourth puzzled him, Goriss replied: "It wasn't only that one ... there were several things that were flabbergasting and out of our control. That was one of a few."
Then when asked whether Nicholson should have been called for a double dribble or carrying violation in that frenetic last play, Goriss replied: "I think you just answered that yourself so there's no reason to ask me."
Goriss expressed his pride in his players - led by Kelsey Griffin (24 points, 23 rebounds) - who now prepare for the third-game decider in the nation's capital on Saturday.
"I'm proud of the girls being able to put in this performance under trying circumstances," he said.
"There were some things that were just totally out of our control that changed the game."
