TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley was always known as a fiery player at Duke, and that has carried over to his time on the sidelines. On Sunday, he took things to the extreme in his first game against the Sun Devils' rival Arizona.
In what was an 83-77 game with 1:14 remaining, Hurley received a technical foul for arguing a foul call on Gabe York against Savon Goodman. Then, just 14 seconds later after Arizona State had closed the gap to six points again, Hurley received a second one to get ejected after Tra Holder was called for a foul against York.
Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley picks up his 2nd technical and is ejected from the game with 59.6 to go #Pac12 https://t.co/qUycVNs92t
— FS1 (@FS1) January 3, 2016
Arizona beat its in-state rival 94-82 following this surprising course of events.
Hurley had been warned earlier in the game. He commented afterward.
"I really wouldn't change anything that I did today, in terms of anything that happened," Hurley said. "That's as far as I'm going to comment about any of that, other than I always want the spotlight to be on the performers and the guys in the game. It shouldn't be about anything more than that. That goes for all of us. It goes for the coaches, the officials, everyone. It should always be about the players."
Arizona State likely would not have come back to win the game given that York was being sent to the foul line. But you never know what can happen in college basketball, and you just don't see coaches do that in a two-possession contest. York calmly went to the line and knocked down all four free throws to put it out of reach.
York was the overall leader for Sean Miller's group, scoring 22 points -- including 17 in the second half. Freshman Allonzo Trier also added 20.
Arizona has established itself as the favorite in the Pac-12 again this season following this win. That's pretty fair to say.
However, the game overall will be remembered for the final 74 seconds, and Hurley's explosion. If that doesn't bring some new blood and new intensity to a rivalry between the two biggest schools in Arizona, I don't know what will.
