Kentucky fans, media crush referees for barrage of technical fouls in Arkansas game
By David Wasson
Published:
The whistle-laden barrage in the middle of the second half of Saturday night’s Kentucky–Arkansas basketball game drew plenty of attention on social media – with most of the ire directed at veteran official Doug Shows.
Shows called three technical fouls on the Wildcats in a 38-second span Saturday night at Bud Walton Arena, including the one here on Kentucky’s Mouhamed Dioubate, throwing momentum squarely behind the Razorbacks.
The fury came fast and furious toward Shows, who has been calling college basketball games since 1993 and is a veteran of 27 SEC Tournaments.
The flurry of technicals began with 14:49 remaining and Kentucky ahead 51-46 – as Brandon Garrison was whistled for standing over Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. after Acuff was knocked to the floor. Malique Erwin missed both free throws to keep the score from changing.
The second technical came just 22 seconds later, as Acuff drove the lane for a layup and got it swatted out of bounds by Dioubate – who appeared to briefly flex in Acuff’s direction to earn a quick whistle. Acuff made both his free throws.
Shows, who also works games in the ACC, Big East, Big 12, American, A-10, Conference USA, Sun Belt, Southern and SWAC, continued the technical barrage continued with 14:11 to play by T’ing up Kentucky coach Mark Pope after the Wildcats turned the ball over via a 10-second violation. Acuff went back to the free-throw line and made both attempts to make it 51-50.
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. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
