Hurley Criticizes Officials After Late Foul Call in No. 2 UConn’s Loss to Memphis

Hurley Furious Over Late Foul Call as No. 2 UConn Falls to Memphis in Overtime

LAHAINA, Hawaii — UConn head coach Dan Hurley was livid after a controversial foul call contributed to his team's 99-97 overtime loss to Memphis in the opening round of the Maui Invitational on Monday.

With the score tied at 92 in the final minute of overtime, Hurley’s frustration boiled over after an offensive foul was called on UConn forward Liam McNeeley for an over-the-back rebound attempt. The call sent Hurley to his knees, and he was subsequently hit with a technical foul. Memphis' PJ Carter sank four consecutive free throws—two for the technical and two for the personal foul—giving Memphis a 96-92 lead with 40.3 seconds left.

"That was a joke. I just watched it," Hurley said after the game. "Memphis made no attempt to box out, and there was a player who half-heartedly went for the rebound. Liam McNeeley high-pointed the ball. For that call to be made at that point in the game was a complete joke."

The controversial call marked the end of UConn's 17-game winning streak dating back to last season.

Hurley, still clearly upset during his postgame press conference, explained his dramatic fall to the floor in response to the call.

"I don’t know what happened," Hurley said. "I might have lost my balance from the absurdity of the call, or maybe I tripped. But if I made that call, I would’ve ignored the fact that I was on my back. It was just a major, major mistake, especially with how that game was unfolding. How could you make that call at that moment?"

Hurley proceeded sharing his considerations on the call, made by arbitrator Pat Driscoll.

"How you can call that the way that diversion was going on is fair past me," Hurley proceeded. "I've never seen the one ref some time recently. I didn't indeed know he was a college ref and at that point I'm commonplace with the other two, so I'm not surprised."

Steven Anderson and Scott Brown were the other two arbitrators working the game.

His specialized was one of two that sent Memphis to the line for free tosses in the diversion; the other was around 4 minutes into the amusement when a group coach clearly said something that arbitrators listened and didn't like.

"It got off to a terrible begin when my restorative coach, who must have said something beneath his breath in a group, gets T'd up in the group in the to begin with couple minutes or anything that was in the diversion," Hurley said. "A coach who's fair the most delightful fellow, exceptionally calm fellow. Might have mumbled something beneath his breath in a typical situation."

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And a third specialized -- Samson Johnson was shrieked as portion of a twofold specialized, but it was his fifth foul and constrained him from the diversion halfway through additional time -- was expensive as well.

"Samson was getting pushed. His shirt was tore. He didn't get a foul called for him the whole amusement," Hurley said. "He finished the amusement with his shirt tore down the center, but they get him on each call. He's disappointed. That was insane, man. Crazy."

For his portion, Memphis coach Penny Hardaway --- who did get a handshake and warm grasp from Hurley after the diversion -- called it the greatest win of his coaching career.

"That was back-to-back national champions, undefeated, to begin with circular of the Maui competition," Hardaway said. "When we to begin with got picked to play them, I was like, 'OK, beginning off with a bang.' I fair got our group arranged. I utilized it as motivation."

Add it all up and UConn misplaced for the to begin with time since a misfortune to Creighton on Feb. 20. Memphis driven most of the diversion Monday some time recently UConn revived from 13 focuses down in the last 4 minutes of control. The Tigers got 40 free tosses to 24 for the Huskies.

"We knew it was going to be a physical diversion," UConn's Alex Karaban said. "That was the amusement arrange. We knew they needed to make it physical. It wasn't shocking [to] us that it was physical, we fair had to coordinate their durability, and for most of the diversion we didn't. That's fair on us."

Information from The Related Press was utilized in this report.