Announcer Lisa Byington makes mortal sin with West Virginia

Announcer Lisa Byington on Friday became the first woman to call a men’s NCAA Tournament game. Unfortunately, she made one big mistake that did not sit well with West Virginia fans.

Just before halftime, Byington was making a note about how much variety West Virginia got in their scoring, especially from deep.

“Five different Virginia players hit threes in the first half,” Byington said.

There was one big problem with the statement: Virginia was not playing in the game. It was West Virginia against Morehead State. Of course, there is a big difference between Virginia and West Virginia, which Byington knows. But getting called Virginia is a sore point for West Virginia, which is a completely different state, with its own proud tradition and program.

The Mountaineers ended up getting the win and advancing to the second round. They will face Syracuse next.