Dan Hurley almost ruined UConn’s amazing Duke upset with bizarre ref interaction
The close to UConn vs. Duke was the defining moment of March Madness. Duke dominated the first half, UConn clawed their way back in throughout the second — and it felt as if it would be for naught, until we had the most incredible finish to the game, perhaps not just of this tournament, but one of the best endings in NCAA tournament history.
OH MY GOODNESS 😱 UCONN LEADSSSS UNBELIEVABLE #MarchMadness pic. twitter. com/IPX2JWiw0b — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 29, 2026 It’s what happened after this moment that was truly unbelievable.
Some (predominantly upset Duke fans) are noting that several UConn players and coaches ran onto the floor with 0. 4 seconds left, which could technically be a technical foul if the refs were feeling pedantic — but easily the wildest scene came from UConn coach Dan Hurley, who absolutely should have been tee’d up for making contact with an official. Nah man Dan Hurley is a PSYCHO.
Why he do this to the referee 😂🤣 pic. twitter. com/tPPX9yoVIp — Hater Report (@HaterReport) March 30, 2026 Hurley’s reaction came in response to the refs telling him and his staff to get off the court, which I guess Hurley took exception too by leaning in and pressing his head against the officials.
This isn’t some sort of subjective grey area. If any player did this to an official they’d receive a technical and likely be ejected. This is some incredible leniency from the officials which 100% had to do with the stakes in the moment.