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TruTV Announcers Rip Technical Foul That Ejected Clemson Center During Comeback Attempt

Ryan Phillips

Clemson's Viktor Lahkin fouls out of his team's first round game against McNeese State in the 2025 NCAA tournament.
Clemson's Viktor Lahkin fouls out of his team's first round game against McNeese State in the 2025 NCAA tournament. / Via TruT
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Clemson was having a rough opening game during the 2025 men's NCAA tournament but it got worse on a controversial call in the second half.

The Tigers trailed McNeese State 51–38 with 6:04 remaining in the game when center Viktor Lakhin fouled Sincere Parker, giving the Cowboys two free throws. The foul was Lakhin's fourth, and after he committed it, he said something to Parker. That was a bad idea.

An official immediately stepped in an hit Lakhin with a technical foul for his trash talk. That also gave him five personal fouls, disqualifying him from the game. So in one play, Clemson's center earned his fourth and fifth fouls and was done.

TruTV announcers Andrew Catalon and Steve Lappas couldn't believe Lakhin was given a technical for such a small offense.

That was a bit harsh.

Clemson trailed 53–38 after this sequence but wound up making a furious comeback. McNeese wound up winning 69–67 but maybe things would have been different if the Tigers had their center for the final six-plus minutes of the game.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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