Iowa pulls off miraculous comeback win over Michigan State as Fran McCaffery awkwardly stares down referee

Iowa pulled off a comeback for the ages on Saturday in a Big Ten showdown against Michigan State. After falling behind 91-78, the Hawkeyes over the scored 23 points over the final 90 seconds, fueled by six 3-pointers, to force an overtime with a 101-101 tie at the end of regulation. It was all Iowa from there with the Hawkeyes outscoring the Spartans 11-5 in the extra period.

Iowa star Kris Murray had 20 of his 26 points in the second half and overtime periods and Tony Perkins scored 19 of his 24 in that same time frame. Michigan State, which led by as many as 13 points with 1:34 left in the game, got 31 points from Tyson Walker and shot lights out from 3-point range as a team, but it was effectively trading two points for three points late in a game that led to MSU exchanging free throws to Iowa’s 3-point barrage. 

Now we have to ask: Was this miraculous comeback triggered by a bizarre moment involving Iowa coach Fran McCaffery?

McCaffery has been known to throw a technical-inducing tantrum or two over the years as the hot-headed Hawkeyes coach, but he deployed a new tizzy technique after drawing a technical during the comeback that very well may take the cake as the most strange reaction you’ll see to getting rang up for a T.

With just over two minutes to go in regulation, McCaffery, upset that his defender was whistled for a foul after Michigan State was trapped in the coffin corner in what appeared to be a potential jump-ball situation, expressed dissatisfaction over the controversial ruling. Fuming over the call and unafraid to show it, he received a tech for that reaction. Then things got weird 30 seconds later. 

That’s an old-fashioned staredown straight out of a westerner, but it may have fired up his team enough to push them toward one of the wildest endings we’ve seen this season.