In the closing moments of Grand Canyon’s game against UT Arlington for the WAC Championship, a late dunk by GCU’s Collin Moore set off a brawl that continued after the game.
Grand Canyon dunks it up 10 as time runs out and UT Arlington did NOT like that 😳 pic.twitter.com/WVxmrGrwBR
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) March 17, 2024
GCU Wins WAC Championship But Late Dunk Sparks Controversy
In the WAC Championship game, the Grand Canyon Antelopes defeated the UT Arlington Mavericks with considerable ease. GCU, who had been up by a comfortable margin for the majority of the game, defeated UT Arlington 19-7 in the last seconds to win 89-74.
Only 2.9 seconds remained in the game, and GCU guard Collin Moore made a windmill dunk after receiving a long pass. The UT Arlington players took offense at what appeared to be a celebratory gesture. A brief altercation on the floor resulted from this late-game dunk, which is frequently seen as unsportsmanlike behaviour.
Following a shoulder check from UT Arlington’s Akili Vining toward Moore, Phillip Russell threw the ball out of fury. Vining and Russell were both given technical fouls for their behaviour. For a short while, things got out of hand before officials and coaches stepped in and brought the court back under control.
Even with the late-game altercation, Grand Canyon won the WAC Championship. With their win, they advance to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, where they will compete for the third time since joining Division I in 2013.
The WAC Tournament came to a spectacular close with the Grand Canyon-UT Arlington match. Even though GCU put on a strong effort in the game, the controversial dunk and the accompanying incident will probably stick in the memory of fans. This incident can be used to start a conversation about good sportsmanship and how important it is to show respect for your opponent—even when you win.
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