With Texas leading by 25 in the second half of Tuesday night’s basketball game against Texas Tech, things quickly got interesting.
It started with Longhorns forward Brock Cunningham and Red Raiders guard Darrion Williams chasing after a loose ball. As the two players converged, Cunningham lowered his left shoulder into Williams knocking him into the wall on the sideline.
Williams quickly popped up and approached Cunningham. The two teams rapidly converged on the area, as well and things quickly simmered down before anything too serious broke out.
This was the play that led to everything. pic.twitter.com/T9fOOB6HhM
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) February 28, 2024
The animosity, though, was not limited to the players on the two teams.
Officials reviewed the play and eventually determined that Cunningham would be assessed a Flagrant 2 and was therefore ejected. As the review was happening, though, fans in Lubbock became increasingly agitated. Some of them began throwing things onto the floor. That resulted in the Red Raiders being assessed an administrative technical foul.
With that, Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland got on the house mic and addressed the fans. We’ve heard the late Oklahoma coach Billy Tubbs say “The referee has requested that regardless of how terrible the officiating is, do not throw stuff on the floor.” And of course, who could forget the late Sam Wyche’s frustrated “You don’t live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati” speech? McCasland went the another route.
“Everybody listen. Hey. Right here. Everybody listen. Everything that gets thrown on the floor, we’re gonna get a technical foul. Listen to me. It’s gotta stop. It’s gotta stop. Nothing else on the floor. Am I clear?”
Wild scene in Lubbock.
Texas's Brock Cunningham is assessed a Flagrant 2 and ejected.
Unhappy Texas Tech fans throw things on the floor, leading to an administrative technical on the Red Raiders.
This prompts coach Grant McCasland gets on the mic to tell them to stop. pic.twitter.com/VikSnGrZaz
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) February 28, 2024
Texas Tech played well after the incident. The Red Raiders had far too steep of a hill to climb to have a realistic chance of coming back, but they lost by only 12, falling 81-69.
[Photo Credit: ESPN]
