Notre Dame men’s basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry erupted in anger following a contentious referee decision late in his team’s 72-71 defeat against Cal on Friday evening.
Immediately after the game concluded, Shrewsberry sprinted from the court, chasing after official Adam Flore. Several team members and personnel were needed to hold back the third-year Fighting Irish coach as he persisted in yelling at Flore and gesturing towards him.
Flore drew Shrewsberry’s ire for his contentious decision to grant Cal an opportunity for a decisive four-point play during the game’s closing moments.
As Notre Dame held a three-point advantage with 9.9 seconds remaining, Shrewsberry directed his team to commit a foul to prevent Cal from attempting a game-equalizing shot from beyond the arc. Notre Dame’s Logan Imes made two attempts to foul Cal guard Dai Dai Ames as he dribbled past mid-court, but the whistle remained silent. On the third attempt, Imes mistimed his reach, making contact with Ames just as he elevated and successfully drained a 3-pointer from the left wing.
Flore initially signaled a successful shot with a foul (an “and-1”). Subsequently, the officials reversed that ruling, indicating the foul happened prior to the shot. The referees then conferred again, changing their decision a second time, validating the basket and sending Ames to the charity stripe to convert the tie-breaking free throw with 5.5 seconds left.
“My impression was that a foul occurred during the shooting motion,” Cal’s coach Mark Madsen stated to journalists post-game. “I observed the referee indicate it. They discussed it a couple of times and ultimately permitted it. Such intense emotions filled the arena, for the officials, for myself, for the opposing squad. I was relieved Dai Dai elevated and connected on the shot, and I was also grateful for Dai Dai’s poise, significant mental clarity, and calmness in converting the free throw.”
Following Ames’ successful conversion of the decisive free throw, Notre Dame was afforded a last opportunity to secure victory, yet Braedon Shrewsberry’s 3-point shot bounced off the front of the rim.
Micah Shrewsberry issued a statement on Saturday morning, expressing regret for his conduct subsequent to the game’s conclusion, describing his actions as “unsuitable and not representative of the leadership I aspire to embody, nor what Notre Dame anticipates from its coaching staff and faculty.”
He further stated, “I commit to learning from this lapse in judgment and to improving my conduct going forward.”
It appears Shrewsberry will not face suspension for his conduct after the game. The ACC declared the incident resolved on Saturday, having issued a public reprimand to Shrewsberry for breaching the conference’s sportsmanship regulations.
“Shrewsberry aggressively approached an official crew member after the contest,” the ACC’s declaration specified. “The unsportsmanlike conduct exhibited is intolerable and diminishes the integrity of athletic competition between these institutions.”
