By BRENDAN McGAIR
Special to ZAGSBLOG
SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. – Toss another memory into the Providence-Rhode Island basketball scrapbook.
The latest chapter between these two Ocean State Division I programs may not be remembered for the last-second 50-49 win the Friars staged Thursday night before a rocking and rolling Ryan Center crowd. The free throw that PC senior Kadeem Batts hit with 22 seconds remaining to snap a 49-all deadlock or the off-balanced free-throw line jumper that E.C. Matthews failed to connect on as the final horn sounded?
Mere subplots.
What unfolded with 3:57 remaining was the true highlight. As a play in PC’s end concluded, Josh Fortune shoved the ball in the director of Matthews, who took exception and began expressing his dissatisfaction to the Friar sophomore.
As Fortune made his way to the bench, URI head coach Dan Hurley ran to midcourt with a look of displeasure on his face. Hurley began protesting to the officials, which in turn led to PC mentor Ed Cooley throwing in his two cents.
Both head coaches engaged in a stare down that also contained a few verbal jabs. Not surprisingly, Cooley and Hurley were slapped with technical fouls by official Pat Driscoll.
It was THE moment in this once-a-year rivalry game. Once order was restored, the Friars and Rams went on to stage a down-to-the-wire conclusion that kept the sell-out crowd of 7,657 on the edge of their seats.
Once the dust settled, however, all everyone wanted to talk about was the dustup involving the leaders of the two programs.
“Right at the moment, I don’t know why I was mad. I think I reacted the wrong way when I saw Josh. Honestly, I think it was the emotion of the game and time and possession,” said Cooley. “I wanted my team as (Hurley) wanted his team to know that ‘We’ve got your back no matter what.’
“As I sit (in the press conference room), I don’t know what I said. I just saw my player’s reaction, and I think I was wrong in that situation,” added Cooley.
Said Hurley, “It’s an intense environment. The atmosphere was as good as it gets in college basketball.”
Photo: Providence Journal
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