UT Arlington did not appreciate how Grand Canyon handled the closing moments of Saturday’s WAC Tournament final. The college basketball game quickly devolved into chaos with less than three seconds remaining.
It resulted in multiple technical fouls!
Antelopes guard Collin Moore instigated the incident with an impolite dunk as time expired. His team, the No. 1 seed, secured a rebound while up by 10 points with 7.2 seconds remaining.
The sequence began when senior Lök Wur threw a pass down the floor. Moore caught the pass beyond half court with the college basketball game out of reach. He could’ve dribbled out the clock.
Instead, the first-year transfer threw down a windmill dunk that did not go over well with the Mavericks.
Phillip Russell ran up to bodycheck Moore. Akili Vining threw a ball at him.
Tempers flared! Both sides got into for a moment before coaches stepped in to break it up. There was a lot of jarring back and forth.
Drama at the end of the WAC final.
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) March 17, 2024
With GCU up late and time about to expire, Collin Moore dunks. UTA's Phillip Russell runs up and bodychecks Moore, while Akili Vining threw the ball at him. pic.twitter.com/Ag5vySZK8D
Moore’s dunk did not kill the clock. 2.9 seconds remained.
As a result, the officials were forced to review the incident. They ultimately issued a Flagrant 2 to Russell for his contact with Moore. Vining received a technical foul for his ball toss. Derrick Michael Xzavierro was ejected for leaving Grand Canyon’s bench.
After review:
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) March 17, 2024
– Russell (Blue 1) was given a Flagrant 2
– Vining (Blue 4) was given a Flagrant Technical
– GCU's Derrick Michael Xzavierro (White 1) was ejected for leaving the bench. pic.twitter.com/hYi8YxB7vz
The Lopes went on to win the WAC by 15. They are likely to be a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament after finishing the season at 29-4 with losses only to South Carolina, Seattle, Tarleton State and Abilene Christian.
Grand Canyon dominated UT Arlington from start to finish on Saturday and capped off its second-straight WAC Tournament title (and third in four years) with a high-flying exclamation. Unfortunately, it was perceived as disrespect because Moore chose not to kill the clock in respectful fashion.