Michigan outlasted Florida State in an ugly Elite Eight game on Saturday night as the Wolverines won 58-54 to advance to the Final Four.
The end of the game left a lot of viewers puzzled.
With the Seminoles in the midst of a furious rally, the team seemingly gave up in the final seconds. Down by four points with 11.8 seconds left, Florida State didn’t foul to extend the game as Michigan ran out the clock for the win. Since the Wolverines struggled from the free-throw line and missed two front-ends of one-and-ones in the final few minutes, the Seminoles fouling to extend the game seemed like a potential strategy.
Many viewers, as well as the broadcast crew working the game, wondered aloud why the Seminoles wouldn’t attempt to foul in that spot.
So Dana Jacobson of CBS asked Hamilton about the final seconds of the game in a postgame interview.
An awkward interview ensued.
Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton on the decision not to foul with 11 seconds remaining.#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/IxlWNnuPRa
— March Madness Men’s Basketball TV (@MM_MBB_TV) March 25, 2018
Hamilton issued a public statement the next day as he tried to make the best of a very weird interview.