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Jay Williams rips officiating in title game using ‘UFC fight’ and ‘ballet’ comparisons
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Florida’s National Championship Game victory over Houston on Monday night wasn’t without some controversy.
The officiating in the game was noticeably-inconsistent from the first half to the second half. Before halftime, Florida and Houston were whistled for a grand total of 4 fouls. It was a very physical half where the players were largely permitted to play-on through contact.
But in the second half, that changed considerably. The foul count rose to 25 in the second half — 16 on Houston and 9 on Florida.
After the game, ESPN analyst Jay Williams wrote on social media that it was “horribly officiated game.” He said the first half was officiated “like a UFC fight” while the second half was more akin to a ballet:
The change in approach from officials happened very early in the second half. By the 17:21 mark, Florida had already been whistled for five fouls. Florida was also assessed multiple technical fouls in the second half as it expressed frustration over calls on the court.
Houston built up a 12-point lead in the second half, but the Gators eventually adjusted to the new style of officiating. They chipped away at Houston’s lead until finally breaking through with a pair of Alijah Martin free throws with 46 seconds remaining to take the lead.
The rest is history, as Houston was unable to score from that point forward. This was the third national championship for Florida basketball in its history.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
