Written by BOB SUTTON, ASSOCIATED PRESS

One of the referees for the Chattanooga vs. N.C. State game on Saturday was replaced at halftime by the NCAA due to a previous conflict.

Tommi Paris was substituted with Angelica Suffren for the first round of the NCAA Tournament, as she was the official for the initial game at that location.

The NCAA stated that there was a change in game officials during the Chattanooga-N.C. State first-round game at halftime. This was due to the discovery that Umpire 2 Tommi Paris had a conflicting background that would have prevented her from working the game had it been known earlier. The statement comes after an inquiry from The Associated Press.

According to Paris’ online profile, she obtained a master’s degree from Chattanooga. The NCAA requires officials under consideration for the NCAA Tournament to disclose their school affiliations in order to prevent any potential conflicts. However, in this situation, this information was not revealed.

“I was literally brought into the locker room and informed about the change,” mentioned Shawn Poppie, coach of Chattanooga, when asked about his halftime learning experience. “I’m not sure what triggered it. It’s only the second time it’s happened in my career, the first time being due to an injury, so it’s a bit unclear.”

Suffren, who worked the earlier Green Bay-Tennessee game, was on the court for the second half of Chattanooga-N.C. State game. Danielle Jackson had been listed as the game’s standby official.

The NCAA’s statement explained that Suffren was sent back onto the court in order to gain more on-court experience and ensure that a full officiating crew was present, including standby officials.

Poppie commented, “I believed standby was intended for that purpose. However, as I am new to this, I am also learning. Therefore, I am not completely certain about what occurred.”

NC State emerged victorious with a final score of 64 to 45.

In the fourth quarter, Poppie from the Mocs team received a technical foul with a score of 50-28. Suffren made the call.

Source: wralsportsfan.com