Tuesday night's college basketball game between Texas and Texas Tech in Lubbock ended in a blowout — and fans in attendance showed a despicable lack of maturity during their team's defeat.
While the Texas Tech fans were restless throughout the game — which ended in a 81-69 win for Texas — the insanity reached a breaking point midway through the second half. That's when Texas forward Brock Cunningham body-checked Texas Tech forward Darrion Williams while both were chasing after a loose ball that was headed out of bounds.
Texas and Texas Tech got into it leading to Texas's Brock Cunningham receiving a Flagrant 2 and an ejection.
Wild scene in Lubbock ?
(via @thecomeback)
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 28, 2024
The hard foul caused tensions to flare between the longtime rivals, including the fans in the stands. And when officials were reviewing whether Cunningham's foul was flagrant enough to merit an ejection, Texas Tech fans began throwing water bottles and what looked like miniature containers of alcohol onto the court.
Wild scene in Lubbock.
Texas's Brock Cunningham is assessed a Flagrant 2 and ejected.
Unhappy Texas Tech fans throw things on the floor, leading to an administrative technical on the Red Raiders.
This prompts coach Grant McCasland gets on the mic to tell them to stop. pic.twitter.com/VikSnGrZaz
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) February 28, 2024
Soon after this happened, the ESPN broadcast of the game showed a supposed Texas Tech fan being carried out of the game by six security officers from Texas Tech's student section — all while the fan was nodding his head and receiving praise from fellow fans nearby.
I count 6 officers carrying out a Texas Tech student/fanpic.twitter.com/B8Zt3NWOpl
— Collin Wilson (@_Collin1) February 28, 2024
After an administrative technical foul was called on the Red Raiders due to their fans throwing items onto the court, Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland had to plead with his crazed fan base on the stadium microphone.
"Everybody listen. Hey, right here. Everybody listen," McCasland said. "Everything that gets thrown on the floor, we're going to get a technical foul. Listen to me. It's gotta stop. It's gotta stop. Nothing else on the floor. Am I clear?"
This contest was destined to be marred by negative emotion all along, as it will likely be the final time that Texas and Texas Tech play each other in college basketball for quite a long time — given that Texas (and Oklahoma) are moving to the Southeastern Conference later this year.
Yet, that doesn't excuse Texas Tech fans acting like toddlers throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of a college basketball game.
Hopefully, the United Supermarkets Arena security caught more of the fans who were throwing items onto the court and have banned them all for life. There's no place for actions like that in college basketball.
