Penny Hardaway tosses water bottle after Memphis loss to FAU (Video)

Penny Hardaway tosses water bottle, Memphis vs. FAU, 3/17/2023
Memphis men's basketball coach Penny Hardaway tossed his water bottle in disgust after the Tigers lost Friday night's NCAA Tournament first round game to Florida Atlantic.

Memphis held a 65-64 lead with 5.5 seconds left, but a jump ball gave possession to FAU underneath the Tigers basket. There was controversy around the jump ball call as Memphis jumped on the loose ball on the floor and seemed to call timeout before the officials blew the whistle.

FAU freshman guard Nicholas Boyd took the inbounds pass, drove and scored on a layup to give the Owls a 66-65 lead with 2.5 seconds remaining. Memphis tried to quickly move the ball up the court to attempt a buzzer beater, but couldn't get a shot off in time. It was as the final buzzer sounded that Hardaway chucked his water bottle towards the end of the court, clearly upset at the adverse turn of events. Hardaway certainly had a right to be frustrated at the way things played out. However, as a public figure, leader of men and role model, he has to be hold himself to a higher standard and avoid actions that could reflect negatively on himself and the school.

As for Florida Atlantic, they move on to play Farleigh Dickinson, who on Friday became only the second 16-seed in NCAA Tournament history to knock off a 1-seed as they upset Purdue 63-58. It certainly is March Madness once again.

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