Florida’s bench was assessed a technical foul in the second half of Monday night’s national championship game, creating a huge swing of momentum and a four-point possession for Houston.
The foul was assessed at the 17:21 mark of the second half when Florida’s coaches jumped onto the court from the lowered bench area following an off-the-ball defensive foul on Gators guard Will Richard. Per NCAA rules, only one coach is allowed to stand within the coaching box during live action, and assistant coaches must remain seated.
There is a carve-out within the rulebook allowing for spontaneous reaction to an “outstanding” play, however, the official’s quick whistle may indicate the bench was previously warned. As Ian Eagle noted on the CBS broadcast, there appears to have been some building tension between the bench and the officiating crew and Florida’s coaches were jawing after a call they disagreed with.
Cougars guard LJ Cryer was awarded two free throws after the play — making one. Houston also retained possession. Moments later, Cryer drilled a 3-pointer to give Houston a 40-30 advantage as part of what was effectively a 4-point sequence.
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