Ole Miss fans threw drinks, shirts and trash onto the court in Oxford, Miss. on Wednesday night in protest of late-game officiating that ultimately sealed No. 7 Tennessee's 73-71 road win in dramatic and controversial fashion.
The Rebels led by three with 33 seconds to go in the game, but failed to score again. Jordan Bone made a jumper on the other end to get UT within a point, and with four seconds remaining, Grant Williams delivered the go-ahead basket to put Tennessee up 72-71. What happened moments later was where controversy entered the picture, as Devontae Shuler was whistled for a charge while driving the length of the court, looking for a chance at a game winner.
Moments after the call, which awarded Tennessee possession, the Vols' inbound pass to run out the clock did not go over well among folks in Oxford, either. Fans on hand called for a traveling violation, which may have given Ole Miss one final shot at winning, but a lengthy review determined the game was over.
Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis was none-too-pleased about the calls, tossing his jacket at the first as far as he could in protest, and Rebels fans followed suit by tossing drinks and anything in arms distance onto the court after the second. Davis himself pleaded for fans to behave on the in-game mic system, but his plea fell on deaf ears who had already seen Davis get a technical moments earlier.
For Tennessee, a wild late-game sequence that goes its way after falling on the wrong end of a close one earlier this week. On Saturday, the Vols fell at LSU after a charge call went against them that ultimately sealed their loss to the Tigers.