Yanick Moreira did what 99.9 percent of college basketball players would do in a situation where a rebound could seal the victory. The senior center was posted up underneath the hoop as UCLA’s Bryce Alford attempted a contested three-pointer and saw that the heave had no shot of reaching the bottom of the net. In going after the rebound, Moreira was called for goaltending, giving the Bruins three points and a one-point lead. The Mustangs could not score on their final possession and would be sent home.
The call will be forever debated but nothing will change. Unsurprisingly, Moreira feels horrendous for his decision, even though he probably did nothing wrong, and issued an apology on Twitter.
I would like to apologize for all the SMU fans as senior I shouldn’t make those type of mistake.. I’m really sorry
— Yanick Moreira (@Ymoreira35) March 19, 2015
The apology came after he broke down during their news conference:
It is an extremely mature reaction to a very emotionally-charged call that proved to be the last time he would step on the court with SMU.