Geno Auriemma speaks at a press conference after UConn's loss to Iowa.
Geno Auriemma press conference (via @SNYUConn Twitter)
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma suggested that the officials favored Iowa in Friday night’s Final Four matchup between the two sides.

The Hawkeyes are headed to the final of the NCAA Tournament following a 71-69 win over the Huskies that ended in controversial fashion.

Auriemma was visibly upset on the sideline after forward Aaliyah Edwards was called for an offensive foul with just over three seconds left. The call took away any chance UConn had of advancing past the Final Four and, despite all of the protest, it does appear that it was a correct decision from the refs.

 

Aaliyah Edwards was called for an offensive foul on this possession. pic.twitter.com/1INxb2YHE2 — ESPN (@espn) April 6, 2024

Auriemma admitted he felt deflated after the loss.

“Hard to explain how you feel when your season ends so suddenly,” he said.

Asked about the call, he claimed that illegal screens were being made on every possession but the Huskies were the only team getting penalized for them.

“There’s probably an illegal screen call that you could make on every single possession,” he explained. “I just know that there were three or four of them called on us and I don’t think there were any called on them.

“So I guess we just have to get better at not setting illegal screens.“

“There’s probably an illegal screen call that you could make on every single possession. I just know that there were three or four of them called on us and I don’t think there were any called on them.”

The Late Call On UConn Set Off A Fiery Debate Online

The late foul call has been the subject of intense debate online, with fans arguing that it was weak while others are of the view that it was correct.

LeBron James weighed in immediately after the game, criticizing the officials over the decision. Antonio Brown was on the other side of the fence on Saturday morning, claiming to have read the rule on illegal screens.

UConn’s Paige Bueckers, though, refused to blame the refs, instead shouldering the responsibility and insisting that the Hawkeyes held their destiny in their own hands.

“We can talk about officiating, but players play,” she said. “Players decide the game.”

Meanwhile, Iowa’s headed to a second consecutive final, where they will face South Carolina.