Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland watched the No. 22 Crimson Raiders’ 82-81 time beyond regulation victory over No. 6 Houston on Saturday from the locker room after he was ejected lower than 4 minutes into the sport.
McCasland was assessed two technical fouls for arguing a flagrant 2 name on JT Toppin after Toppin appeared to kick Houston’s Joseph Tugler within the midsection on a bounce cross.
“That is genuinely my thought: JT Toppin is a left-handed basketball participant, and we labored towards the double crew,” McCasland mentioned after the sport. “He spun to throw the basketball together with his proper, however he will get crowded rapidly, and he is making an attempt to throw together with his left.
“I do not know. Possibly we must always name Patrick Mahomes and ask him as a result of in the event you’re in a throwing movement, and it’s important to change fingers and you are a lefty, you are going to must throw your physique in a approach to torque it to throw it together with your left hand. Your physique goes to show in such a means that your proper foot goes to go ahead to throw it.”
The officers reviewed the play, Toppin was issued a flagrant 2, McCasland argued and needed to be held again whereas being escorted off the court docket.
“I do not know what else to say,” McCasland mentioned. “In case your judgment is that that is one thing that we informed him to attempt to do one thing in a double-team. Two issues I like about JT Toppin: One, he was actually excited to play on this recreation, and he competes and he is carried out loads to place himself on this place. He went to the locker room in full disbelief. He didn’t know why. He nonetheless had no thought with regard to why. He is mainly in tears within the locker room.”
Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt posted an announcement on X, previously Twitter, saying he was “appalled and dissatisfied by the official’s egregious determination to eject JT Toppin.”
“This determination, made on a play that was clearly accident and with out intent, is unacceptable,” the assertion mentioned. “Instantly after the ejection, I spoke with Commissioner (Brett) Yormark, who assured me that the state of affairs can be addressed and there can be accountability.”
McCasland mentioned there was “no dialog why they tossed me.”
Texas Tech’s victory ended Houston’s 33-game residence win streak. Houston hadn’t misplaced at residence since a Jan. 22, 2023 defeat to Temple.
The Cougars’ 18-game Huge 12 profitable streak and 13-game profitable streak had been additionally snapped.
Mahomes, a Texas Tech alum, didn’t publicly weigh in on the foul, however he was excited concerning the win.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson mentioned he was dissatisfied with the loss however the “hardest crew received the sport.”
“The story of the sport was Texas Tech,” Sampson mentioned. “They had been superior. Let’s give them a bit of credit score. They lose their greatest large, they arrive into this gymnasium and go to the free-throw line 34 instances, make 12 3s and play nice.”
Reporting by The Related Press.
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