WACO, Texas – Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades was critical of Big 12 officials after coach Scott Drew was ejected for the first time in his 21 seasons with the 18th-ranked Bears after getting two technical fouls in a victory over No. 12 Iowa State on Saturday night.
The ejection came after Drew was assessed his second technical foul with about 11 1/2 minutes left. Only seconds later, the Baylor bench was assessed another technical foul.
In that less than a half-minute span with a personal foul and those technical fouls against Baylor, the Cyclones made all eight of their free throws. That was part of a 20-0 run that put them in the lead before Baylor rallied to win 70-68.
“Tonight was an embarrassment for this league,” Rhoades said. ”Scott (Drew) said it, we have the best basketball league in the country. And the officiating tonight did not match that. Period, end of story. This league needs to get better when we think about our officiating. And we have some great, great officials.
“But this particular crew tonight did not match the level of this game, and that shouldn’t happen in this league.”
Asked what he could do about it, Rhoades said he wasn’t sure, but that he would be calling the Big 12 office.
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark was in attendance at the game. The officials were Jeb Hartness, Chance Moore and Christopher Merlo.
Both of Drew’s technical fouls, the first coming midway through the first half, apparently were because he was outside the coaching box around the bench area. Drew said he wasn’t sure.
“I don’t think I got explanations all game long,” Drew said. “It’ll all be sent into the league.”
Rhoades walked off the court with Drew after the ejection, and the coach said the two watched the remainder of the game together on television. They could hear the reactions of the crowd a second or two before they would see what led to those responses.
“You pour so much into it, and if you’re the reason you lose, there’s no worse feeling,” Drew said. “And I thank God he didn’t make me feel that tonight, because I know if we’d have lost, and those technicals, those points, they add up. I’ve got to do better.”
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