© William Purnell, USA TODAY
Longhorns' Brock Cunningham Comments on Crucial Reversed Foul Call vs. Miami
KANSAS CITY, MO. - The No. 2-seeded Texas Longhorns saw a 13-point second-half lead slip from their fingertips late in Sunday's Elite Eight matchup with the No. 5-seeded Miami Hurricanes at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
But despite Miami's furious rally to take a 73-72 lead with 5:26 remaining, there was clearly an eternity left in a game that was anyone's to win.
Unfortunately for Texas, it was the Hurricanes who seized the opportunity, winning 88-81 to advance to the Final Four. Miami scored its last 13 points of the game from the foul line, not making a field goal in the final 4:43.
One could argue that two of those crucial points at the free throw line shouldn't have been awarded to the Hurricanes at all. But forward Brock Cunningham received no such clarification from the official when asking for an explanation after a controversial foul call with a minute to play.
"He wouldn't even look at me," Cunningham told LonghornsCountry.com regarding the official.
With the game tied 79-79 with 1:05 to play, Miami guard Nijel Pack missed a 3 that bounced high off the rim. Hurricanes big man Norchad Omier and Cunningham simultaneously went up for a rebound, desperate to secure possession.
The two fell hard to the floor, as Omier was originally called for his fifth foul that would've sent him to the bench for the remainder of the game. However, after discussion, the officials changed the call as the foul went on Cunningham. Omier went to the foul line as a result and nailed both free throws with a minute left, as Miami took an 81-79 lead that it didn't surrender for the remainder of the game.
"(The official) had nothing to say," Cunningham told us. " ... Boxed him out, he went over the back, it was a foul and he had nothing to say."
Cunningham had been crashing the boards throughout the game before finishing with seven points and a team-high eight rebounds. What could've potentially counted as his ninth board, possession going the other way with Cunnigham being awarded two shots and Miami's best big man fouling out instead resulted in some momentum-changing free throws for the Hurricanes.
But Cunningham didn't hesitate to admit that, despite the frustration, this was hardly the reason Texas blew a big lead and lost.
"We had it, borderline gave it away," he told reporters. "That's a quality team with some elite players but we had the game in our hands and it slipped out."
Cunningham plans to return for a fifth year next season, as he'll remain one of the undoubted leaders on a Texas team that will look vastly different.
But first, he and the returning players will have to tread through an offseason that will be all the more frustrating given the way the season ended.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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