Tokay Girls Water Polo vs. St. Mary’s: Oct. 4

Chris Webber could learn a thing from Rams water polo coach Dragan Bakic: If you’re going to call a timeout you don’t have, it’s good to at least be ahead.

Despite his fourth quarter blunder, visiting St. Mary’s held off host Tokay in a fierce 3-2 battle that became ever more dramatic — and confounding — thanks to the referees.

All the drama started in the final 1:30. Down by the eventual final margin, the Lady Tigers looked to have a chance at tying when Taitum Herrington drew an apparent five-meter shot. The refs conferred and decided ‘Never mind.’

Then, with seven seconds left to play, Bakic was granted his final timeout — only he did not have any left to burn. With that mistake unnoticed, the clock ran out, but afterwards, Tokay coach Nathan Varosh went up to the scorers’ table and challenged.

He got his wish ... sort of. The error was recognized, but because it was deemed a referee mistake, only the final seven seconds would be replayed — instead of a five-meter penalty shot being awarded.

Both team’s players, all out of the pool by now, were hauled back in to reenact an anticlimactic ending.

Varosh was furious. Herrington felt robbed, and observers were simply confused. The referees? They didn’t feel much like talking.