"Ref show in San Antonio": Fans irate as Houston gets called for 3 fouls in 9 seconds vs Florida

Modified Apr 08, 2025 03:43 GMT

NCAA Basketball: Final Four National Championship-Houston vs Florida - Source: Imagn

Monday's NCAA Tournament title game was all Houston to kick off the second half. The Cougars entered halftime up by three points over the Florida Gators but quickly took control, leading by 10 points three minutes into the second half.

With 14 minutes remaining, Houston led 45-34 when a series of fouls interrupted the team's rhythm. A foul on J'Wan Roberts with 13:47 left marked the first of three fouls for the Cougars over nine seconds. The next two were both on Ja'Vier Francis, coming at 13:45 and 13:38, respectively.

Fans took to X to express their frustration with the fouls and the way the referees called the game, with many calling the national championship a "ref show."

"Ref show in San Antonio."

An X user calls the national title game a ref show

"It's been the ref show all season. Wouldn't expect anything else."

A Florida fans says it's been a ref show all season

"What we really needed in this Final Four was a ref show."

An X user sarcastically says we needed a ref show

Other fans had issues with the fact that refs called the game differently in the second half than they did in the first.

"The refs made sure they reminded everyone we're here to watch them in the second half."

"You can't decide at halftime to call the second half the opposite of the first. Stupid."

An X user calls the officiating of the game "stupid"

A Florida fan also found a problem with the difference in officiating in each half but believed that it was unfair for the Gators, who got a technical foul.

"This is yuck. They let Houston set the tone with physicality, and now they tighten it up in 2nd on Florida. And toss in a Technical. Don't love it and not great for optics unfortunately."

A Florida fan shows frustration with the officiating

Houston's March Madness run

The Houston Cougars entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed and seeking their first national title. Unsurprisingly, Houston dominated its First-Round matchup against No. 16 seed SIU Edwardsbille, winning by 38 points.

The Big 12 squad faced tougher competition in the Round of 32, matching up against another legendary basketball school, Gonzaga. Houston beat the No. 8 Bulldogs 81-76. The journey to the NCAA Championship game didn't become any easier for the Cougars, who narrowly beat No. 4 Purdue 62-60 in the Sweet 16.

Coming off of that win, Houston dominated over No. 2 Tennessee in the Elite Eight, picking up a 19-point win. The Cougars faced Cooper Flagg and No. 1 Duke in the Final Four and came up clutch in the final seconds to pull out a 70-67 win.

Houston, though, fell short, 65-63, as it looked to bring home the championship trophy in a game marred by controversial officiating.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Bhargav