Texas Tech AD calls out 'egregious' JT Toppin ejection after upsetting Houston
No. 22-ranked Texas Tech basketball pulled off a huge upset of No. 6 Houston on the road on Saturday, knocking off the Cougars 82-81 in a tense overtime thriller. However, the fact that the Red Raiders got the win doesn't mean that everything went their way.
Early in the first half of the game, Texas Tech star big man JT Toppin was ejected for kicking his leg up — in a move that looked and seemed unintentional — and kicking a Houston player below the belt. Toppin was given a flagrant 2 foul and was tossed from the game, and Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland was also tossed after being given two technical fouls for arguing the call.
The ejection was objectively a poor decision, and throwing out a player of Toppin's stature in such a big game for a play that is definitely a basketball play is poor officiating. After the game, Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt expressed his displeasure with the call, via Jeff Borzello of ESPN.
“I am appalled and disappointed by the official's egregious decision to eject JT Toppin from tonight's game against Houston,” Hocutt said, per Borzello. “This decision, made on a play that was clearly accidental and without intent, is unacceptable.
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