Following the first ejection of coach Scott Drew’s career, Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades said he couldn’t stay quiet about the officiating after the No. 18 Bears ‘ 70-68 win over No. 12 Iowa State in Waco, Texas, calling it “an embarrassment for this league.”
Baylor led 54-44 midway through the second half when Drew was hit with his second technical foul for stepping outside the coaching box, leading to an ejection. Iowa State launched a 17-0 run to take a 61-54 lead after the ejection.
“I’m not somebody that calls the officials or calls the league after every game,” Rhoades told reporters. “In fact, I never call when it comes to officiating. It’s always about, ‘We need to play better, we need to execute better, we need to play tougher,’ all of those things. But tonight was an embarrassment for this league. We have the best basketball league in the country, and the officiating tonight did not match it. Period. End of story.”
Late in the first half, Baylor had a 15-point edge over the Cyclones, who climbed back into the game in the second half. Jayden Dunn ‘s layup with two seconds to play to put Baylor ahead. Iowa State’s Milan Momcilovic hit a deep 3-pointer, but it was waved off after officials determined the shot went off after the buzzer.