In one of the most heated matchups of March Madness so far, the Florida Gators delivered a devastating blow to the UConn Huskies, sending them back to Mansfield empty-handed. After the breathtaking matchup, Huskies head coach Dan Hurley dropped a fiery statement, aiming at the NCAA officials.
The highly-anticipated clash between the West Region’s No. 1 and No. 8 seed didn’t disappoint, as the Gators and Huskies put on a show for fans at Lenovo Center and watching at home. Ultimately, the top seed in the West prevailed, but Hurley and the Huskies made them work for it, giving them a run for their money.
The Huskies won’t take home the glory for their hard-fought effort, as they had their sights set on advancing to the Sweet Sixteen and, most importantly, chasing a threepeat after championships in 2023 and 2024. However, UConn’s dream came to an end against Florida.
After the game, Hurley, who had been visibly frustrated throughout with several referee calls, finally lost his composure, delivering a fiery message as he headed down the tunnel to the locker room for the final time in the college basketball season.
Head coach Dan Hurley of the Connecticut Huskies walks off the court with Hassan Diarra #10 and Samson Johnson #35 after losing to the Florida Gators 77-75 in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Lenovo Center on March 23, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
“I hope they don’t f— you like they f—ed us. I hope they don’t do that to you, Baylor,” An enraged Dan Hurley told Baylor’s players as they walked across the tunnel while he exited the court, via USA Today.
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Calmer statement
Hurley was clearly caught up in the heat of the moment when he delivered his blunt statement shortly after the buzzer sounded, marking the end of his program’s March Madness hopes. However, during his media availability afterward, the seven-year coach in Mansfield offered a cool-headed admission.
“Part of [the emotion] is probably just the season, how tumultuous the season has been. The team battled and fought just to qualify for the tournament, and then how the game played out, up three at the last media [timeout] we have two free throw rebound mistakes,” Hurley explained. “With past teams we’ve had issues like that occur but those games we were up 15-18 so they weren’t as magnified.
Alijah Martin #15 of the Florida Gators reacts following a dunk during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament against the Connecticut Huskies at Lenovo Center on March 23, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
“And obviously the Karaban drive on the baseline, you know, there was a lot of contact there and we were up one I think at that point or two potentially. I thought that was a big play too.”
Winner stays on
The Gators, on the other hand, kept their championship hopes alive with their close-for-comfort victory over the Huskies, punching their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen stage. During the NCAA Tournament’s third round, Florida will face the winner between Maryland and Colorado State.
