Northwestern coach Chris Collins had to be restrained by his players after being ejected at the end of Wednesday night’s 105-96 overtime loss to Purdue.
In a bizarre scene, Collins ran on the court with several seconds remaining to argue with referee Courtney Green about a previous call. He got hit with a technical foul and was ejected with 1.7 seconds remaining.
The clock expired, but officials put 1.7 seconds back and awarded Purdue four free throws (Wildcats guard Boo Buie also picked up a technical in all the commotion).
As a livid Collins walked off the court, various Wildcats players and a couple of assistant coaches walked him away from the officiating crew. He stopped to greet Purdue coach Matt Painter and Boilermakers star Zach Edey before heading to the locker room, waving his arms to the booing fans at Purdue’s Mackey Complex.
Here’s another view of Collins as he stormed the court and confronted Green.
It’s not hard to understand Collins’ frustration with the officiating. Purdue shot 46 free throws, to only eight for Northwestern.
Fans seemed to enjoy watching Collins’ outburst, and many agreed he had a right to be furious.
Let them know how you feel coach! The ref blew the call, big time.
— coolrog1102 (@RogerMc12916079) February 1, 2024
Nope, what Got Chris Collins ejected was coming onto the court and confronting a ref with time still on the clock!
— Burden on Society (@BrrdenOnSociety) February 1, 2024
[Photo Credit: Big Ten Network]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.