Emotions ran high on Friday night at Madison Square Garden as Creighton advanced to the Big East final over the two-time defending national champions in UConn.
The Bluejays were coasting to a victory and were able to dribble the ball out for the final seconds.
With the second-seeded Bluejays leading 69-62, they got a defensive rebound with under 10 seconds left, and Huskies coach Dan Hurley signaled for his team to let the clock run out without fouling.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
However, Jamiya Neal took off streaking down the left sideline for a slam with 1.5 seconds remaining and hung onto the rim for a pullup. After his skirmish with Diarra, Neal waved his arms to fire up Creighton fans in the sellout crowd.
Huskies guard Hassan Diarra shoved Neal in the chest and appeared to square up with his fists for a split second as the two were face-to-face.
Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner separated them by pushing Neal away as whistles blew and players came streaming off the benches at Madison Square Garden.
Order restored rather quickly, but the emotions were still tense after the game.
“I mean, they were already up with seven seconds left,” Diarra said. “He didn’t want to dribble the ball out. Went in for a fancy dunk. I just felt it was disrespectful to the game of basketball.”
Neal admitted he “got caught up in the emotions of the game” and apologized.
Hurley and Bluejays coach Greg McDermott were already approaching each other along the sideline to shake hands when Neal took off for his dunk. McDermott appeared to apologize to Hurley immediately afterward, and again when the game ended.
Creighton and UConn have had their beef this year already. Hurley taunted Creighton fans last month after the Huskies brought home a road win, waving goodbye to the crowd and yelling out, “Two rings!”
Last year, Hurley also threatened to “knock out” a Creighton fan.
It will be Creighton against St. John’s for the Big East title at the Garden on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in what is sure to be a heavy Red Storm crowd.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American multinational conservative news and political commentary television channel and website based in New York City, U.S. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owned by the Fox Corporation. It is the most-watched cable news network in the U.S., and as of 2023 it generates approximately 70% of its parent company's pre-tax profit. The channel broadcasts primarily from studios at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan. Fox News provides a service to 86 countries and territories, with international broadcasts featuring Fox Extra segments during advertising breaks.
Last updated from