It’s something you don’t even think about much at all, but it’s very important for a basketball team to know which direction it’s going on the court.
Because at all times, one basket accumulates points for one team, while the other basket accumulates points for the other team, no matter who shoots the ball through each hoop.
It’s a dilemma that you might see in a viral video of a first-grader who doesn’t really understand the concept and simply wants to put the ball in the basket.
It’s not something you want to see at a Division I level, though — and to be fair, you usually don’t.
But somehow on Friday afternoon, two Division I women’s college basketball teams scored on the wrong basket within about an hour of each other in separate games.
It seems like it shouldn’t ever happen, but something must’ve been in the air on Friday.
Northwestern State Scores in Wrong Basket vs. Arkansas
The first team to benefit from this wild phenomenon was Arkansas.
The Razorbacks were hosting Northwestern State, and while the visitors were operating an offensive press break, one of their guards caught a pass going toward their defensive basket and had a momentary lapse.
She made the layup, and it was two points for Arkansas, who hadn’t even shot the ball.
You can watch it here (or at this link if it doesn’t display properly):
Today’s off to an interesting start.
A college basketball player scored on the wrong basket. https://t.co/N3HnAWGQR0
— Talia Goodman (@TaliaGoodmanWBB) November 6, 2026
Arkansas went on to win 89-59, so it turns out to not be a big deal in this game.
The basket did confuse ESPN’s play-by-play, though, which reads that Arkansas “team” made an 80-foot 2-point shot.
New Mexico State Scores on Wrong Basket vs. Southern Utah
The stakes were a lot higher when New Mexico State stole an inbound pass and proceeded to score on the wrong basket against Utah State later on Friday.
There were just 20 seconds left, and Southern Utah held a 61-60 lead before the bucket. This help from New Mexico State gave them a 63-60 lead — and the broadcast didn’t even get the points right, initially crediting NMSU.
You can watch it here (or at this link):
Oh my gosh, you can’t make this up.
We’ve got another one. Twice in one day. https://t.co/2z34ZXkhmh
— Talia Goodman (@TaliaGoodmanWBB) November 6, 2026
In this case, New Mexico State won 64-63. So despite the mistake, New Mexico State scored the game’s last four points to win anyway.
It’s just a reminder that sometimes, sports provide something that you’ve rarely, if ever, seen. That’s why we watch.
2 College Basketball Teams Score on Wrong Basket Within 1 Hour — Arkansas, Southern Utah Benefit