Texas Tech throws debris following Brock Cunningham ejection, Grant McCasland chastizes fans
Whenever Texas travels to Lubbock, the crowd gets riled up. Especially since the Longhorns are visiting for the final time as members of the Big 12. Moving on to the SEC, Texas Tech fans do not know when their bitter rivals will be back at United Supermarkets Arena.
Players can let some emotions show as well, with Brock Cunningham getting a little too physical in the second half. When going after a loose ball, Cunningham hip-checked a Texas Tech player and brought the two teams together. While nothing came of the scrum, a Flagrant 2 foul was called against Cunningham and he was ejected from the game.
Cunnigham does have a reputation inside of the Big 12 for being aggressive and fouling opponents. However, there was no doubt about this one and he was escorted into the locker room by Texas staff members with his Horns up.
Even though the call went in their favor, Texas Tech fans were not happy with what unfolded on the court. They began to throw debris, with water and beer bottles coming from the stands. A class B technical foul was then called on the Red Raiders, giving Texas a pair of shots from the free throw line.
Head coach Grant McCasland had to go over the microphone, pleading the fans to stop. Every piece of debris on the court would result in another technical foul against the Red Raiders. ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla pointed out that if three do get called, McCasland would be the one ejected.
“Everybody listen,” McCasland said. “Hey, right here. Everybody listen. Everything that gets thrown on the floor, we’re going to get a technical foul. Listen to me. It’s got to stop. It’s got to stop. Nothing else on the floor. Am I clear?”
With Texas having a 25-point lead, they will be hoping to hold on and get an important win for many reasons. Short-term, adding to the NCAA Tournament is important for Rodney Terry. Texas is not safely in the field yet and getting a win on the road in the Big 12 will certainly help.
Long-term, nobody is quite sure when Texas and Texas Tech will face each other again. Neither side would have too many nice things to say about each other. Maybe the Big 12 Tournament will provide one final matchup but for all we know, it’s the final bout for quite some time.