Talking to media, Will Wade adamant officials missed key call in LSU loss to Alabama
When LSU basketball coach Will Wade picked up a technical in the second half of the Tigers' loss at Alabama on Wednesday night, he did so with purpose.
Adamant a call had been missed, Wade was T'd up after an outburst with 8:11 left. LSU guard Eric Gaines had missed a layup, and Alabama's Noah Gurley was credited with a block on the play.
“He was just basically very upset about the call," LSU's Brandon Murray said.
But there was much more to it than that.
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When asked afterward about the Gaines shot looking like it was pinned on the backboard, Wade jumped as quickly as he had stormed on the court earlier.
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"You think it 'looked' like that. ... You think?" he told his questioner via Zoom. "It was pinned on the backboard. It didn't 'look' like it. It was."
In the midst of a brief follow-up question, Wade picked up where he left off.
"I told our guys I got the technical because I've got to have their back," he said. "But you can't keep having this happen. at some point I have to stand up and have their back."
After Alabama's Jahvon Quinerly rebounded the Gaines miss and Murray was called for a foul on the play, Jaden Shackleford made the four resulting free throws to put the Crimson Tied up 57-44 with 8:03 left.
No. 16 LSU responded to the spark from Wade and tied the game at 58 less than two minutes later. Alabama wound up winning 70-67 despite Tari Eason's 26 points and Murray's 19, but besides that Wade's mission was accomplished.
"So I had their back, and those guys had my back to come back fighting like that," Wade said. "That's what it's about.
"As a coach you have your kids' back, and the kids have your back. ... That's what it's about. I'm proud as hell of them. I've got to stand up for them. We can't just sit down and keep taking it."
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Will Wade adamant refs missed call in LSU loss to Alabama basketball
