Texas basketball's win spoiled by drama as Texas Tech fans throw objects onto court
Texas earned a hard-fought win on Tuesday night over Texas Tech. However, the atmosphere of what should've been a motivating game was marred by the off-court antics.
Halfway through the second half, Texas' Brock Cunningham was ejected from the game with a flagrant 2 after committing a hard foul on Texas Tech's Darrion Williams. The Red Raiders fans in the United Supermarkets Arena reacted by throwing water bottles and other items onto the floor as the play was being reviewed.
After receiving an administrative technical for their behavior, fans booed and threw even more things onto the court. Peace was only restored after Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland implored the home arena to calm down.
"Listen to me, it's got to stop, it's got to stop. Nothing else on the floor. Am I clear?" the coach said as the boos eventually turned into cheers.
McCasland gets on the mic pleading with fans to stop throwing things pic.twitter.com/9cfhli7Vz1
— Nathan Giese (@NathanGiese) February 28, 2024
It was a chaotic evening for the Longhorns, as coach Rodney Terry said nearly left to the locker room due to the tension in the stands. He did give credit to McCasland for his handling of the situation though.
"I thought Grant did a great job getting on the microphone and talking to the crowd, settling everybody down a little bit. Some coaches won't do that. He did that. Kudos to him. Proud of him. Proud of Coach Grant. He's a man of a lot of character and a good man who's done a great job coaching his team," Terry said.
It's a bitter way to end the rivalry between the two teams, as the two teams haven't talked much about renewing the matchup once Texas moves to the SEC. While the Longhorns leave with bragging rights over their Lubbock neighbors, it's unfortunate that their final win is scarred with off-court drama.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Tech fans throw bottles on court during game vs. Texas Longhorns