Tensions were at an all-time high in the first round of the 2025 March Madness tournament. The Louisville Cardinals head coach, Pat Kelsey, had a big technical foul called on him in their game against the Creighton Bluejays. A frustrated Louisville fan threw a water bottle on the court.
It’s no surprise to see coaches get animated in the opening round of the tournament, especially in a close game. This all happened with under five minutes remaining and Louisville trailing Creighton by 12. Certainly, there was more than enough time for a Louisville comeback, so it’s safe to say tensions were riding high.
Pat Kelsey Draw Rage-Inducing Technical Foul
It all started with Terrence Edwards Jr. missing a three-pointer. Edwards appeared to call for a foul, and as the ball was transitioning to the other side of the court, the ref’s whistle blew, and a technical foul was called on Kelsey.
Pat Kelsey gets a tech and a Louisville fan throws a water bottle onto the floor 😬
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) March 20, 2025
Kelsey got his money’s worth as he got in the face of the official, and boo’s rained down from the fans in attendance. The assistant coaches of Louisville stood in the way of Kelsey and tried to help cooler heads prevail, but it’s safe to say that Kelsey was very heated.
The issue the official had with Kelsey came in the choice words that Kelsey threw the officials way, as well as Kelsey actually stepping onto the court. This is usually always called as a technical foul, especially if a coach comes on to the court themselves.
This drew a Louisville fan to throw a half-full bottle of water onto the floor. Fortunately, nobody was hit. However, it flew right over the Creighton bench. The announcers and fans in the arena weren’t happy as the water bottle caused a clean-up on the court.
Unfortunately for Louisville, this all happened roughly six minutes after they lost Reyne Smith, so the injury, plus being down by 12, plus a missed foul was truly a recipe for disaster. The players were visibly frustrated, and so was the coach, and it’s easy to understand why.
KEEP READING: Reyne Smith Injury Update — Louisville Guard Re-Aggravates Right Ankle vs. Creighton
Ultimately, Louisville went on to fall to Creighton, 89-75. With this win, Creighton advances to the second round of the NCAA March Madness tournament for a showdown with either the No. 1 ranked Auburn Tigers or No. 16 ranked Alabama State Hornets. Either way, Creighton has advanced to the Round of 32.
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