It was the early exit for the eighth seeded Louisville Cardinals, who lost to No. 89-75 Clayton in their Kentucky home town in a March madness on Thursday.
The final moments of the game didn't swell in frustration.
Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey was asked for a technical foul after yelling at officials, but that was the most worrying incident.
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March Madness logo during the first four practices at UD Arena. (Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images)
As both teams were huddled for a foul, fans threw a bottle of water on the court towards Clayton's bench, prompting a slight delay.
“It was a complete water bottle. It was extremely dangerous and we went straight past Clayton's bench,” said play-by-play announcer Brian Anderson. “I tell YA, no one who does it should be allowed to come to this arena again.”
Clayton head coach Greg McDermott used a towel to wipe the water.
Jamiya Neal scored a career-high 29 points and 12 rebounds, while Steven Ashworth led to 22 points far beyond the ARC.
McDermott's Blue Jays (25-10) won the March madness opener for the fifth consecutive time, beating the team ranked in the top 10 for the second time this season. Louisville (27-8) finished 10th in the AP Top 25 despite its impressive sowing.
Clayton Blue Jays head coach Greg McDermott cleans up water thrown into the court by fans in the second half of the match against the Louisville Cardinals in the first round of the NCAA tournament at the Lap Arena. (Aaron Doster/Imaging Image)
Chuckie Hepburn scored 22 points, while Terrence Edwards Jr. scored 21 at Louisville (27-8) and won 19 wins last season on a highly transferred roster under first-year head coach Kelsey. It was the Cardinals' first insanity appearance since 2019, and they met the Clayton team, who had plenty of postseason experience.
“They played well today. They were a better team,” Kelsey said.
On Thursday, March 20, 2025, the Louisville Cardinals' Pat Kelsey Joes welcomed Jaws on staff in the second half of the first round game at the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Lap Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. (Matt Stone/Courier Journal/USA Today Network via imagn Images)
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The Blue Jays face No. 1 Auburn in Saturday's 32nd round. The upset will win Clayton, which is the appearance of the fourth sweet 16 in the final five tournaments.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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