As college basketball fans, we all remember the underdog stories, the famous comebacks and the huge upsets. But just as we remember these moments of brilliance, we also cannot forget the embarrassing moments when players show unsportsmanlike behaviour and teams lose just when they are on the brink of victory.
Expect a lot of such unforgettable moments in this year’s March Madness also, which is scheduled to begin on March 17, 2020, offering many fun opportunities for NJ sports betting fans in the world.
1- The Brawl between Cincinnati and Xavier (2011)
Cincinnati and Xavier have shared a great rivalry with each other. When these teams come to the arena, there is always more at stake and both teams try their level best to win the bragging rights. But in December 2011, the rivalry between these two teams turned very ugly.
In the ending stages of the game, Xavier’s Tu Holloway began shouting at the Bearcat bench after scoring for his team. This charged up Cincinnati players and hence the situation turned very ugly.
There were scenes of players’ shouting and punching each other, giving a very distasteful view to all the basketball fans. The referees ended the game and gave Xavier the 76-53 victory. After this incident, several players got punishments under the NCAA rules.
2- Baylor’s defeat at the Ferrell Center (2012)
Kansas and Baylor faced each other at the Ferrell Center in February 2012. Baylor started very well and gained very good control of the game. They managed to get a 19-9 lead in the first ten minutes. That’s when things started going downhill for them and they let their 10-point lead slip from their hands, and eventually lost the match.
It is always bad for Baylor to get beaten by Kansas, but it is even worse to let their rival win after they gained such an advantageous position. Sure, Kansas were in great form at that time, but Baylor had a great opportunity to defeat their rivals.
3- Maryland Terrapins’ loss against Duke (2001)
It is always embarrassing if you lose a basketball game to one of your biggest rivals. But the embarrassment goes to the next level if you suffer a great last-minute collapse and hand your rival victory. That’s exactly what happened to Maryland Terrapins who lost the contest at home in overtime. Incredibly they were ten points up when less than a minute remained in the game. But to their mortification, they allowed Duke to make a comeback, and thus Duke won the match by 98-96.