Duke radio broadcast mocked for suggesting UConn technical foul after last-second 3-pointer
By David Wasson
Published:
When you have just watched your team blow a 19-point lead and watch a trip to the Final Four vanish into thin air, well, you’re pretty much looking for anything to hang on to.
Just ask David Shumate, the radio voice of Duke basketball, who somehow mistakenly thought on a UConn player came off the bench and onto the court in the immediate aftermath of Braylon Mullins’ miracle 3-pointer to give the Huskies a 73-72 East Region final victory and a trip back to the Final Four.
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“Malachi Smith ran off the bench! That should be a technical!” Shumate exclaimed as the Huskies were celebrating following Mullins’ 35-foot game-winner, not realizing that Smith had substituted into the game with 10 seconds remaining and teammate Silas Demary Jr. at the free-throw line.
Needless to say, Shumate’s home-town reaction elicited some humorous responses on X (formerly Twitter)…
Mullins’ 3 capped a furious rally for second-seeded UConn (33-5), which advances to play third-seeded Illinois in Friday’s national semifinals (6:09 pm ET, TBS/Tru TV). The Huskies trailed Duke by 19 points in the first half and 44-29 at halftime.
Duke (35-3) became the first No. 1 seed to lose when leading by at least 15 points at halftime in 135 previous games.
For comparison’s sake, here is Mike Crispino on the UConn radio call… Absolute bedlam in March Madness, indeed.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
