Creighton led 46-45 when official Kelly Self called Christopher Niemann for fouling Grant Gibbs on a shot. Self then whistled Nebraska's Toney McCray for a technical foul. "I didn't think I really said anything," McCray said, "but the ref was talking about how he didn't like my hands going up, or whatever."
Self never offered an explanation to Sadler, who instead asked official Mike Sanzere why McCray received a technical. Sanzere consulted Self, and relayed to Sadler that Self didn't like a gesture McCray had made. "You're going to call a TECHNICAL for a GESTURE in a one-point game?" was Sadler's immediate response. "Was it a dirty gesture?"
No response was given. But meantime, officials were visiting with Creighton coach Greg McDermott and visiting a replay monitor, for reasons of which Sadler wasn't certain. So Sadler asked and received permission from Sanzere to go to that end of the court. There, he leaned up against the scorer's table with McDermott, who put his arm around Sadler.
Sadler, with a big grin, made a comment to McDermott about the great basketball game. Self then intervened and slapped Sadler with a technical.
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