Memphis Coach Penny Hardaway Launches Water Bottle After Heartbreaking Loss

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Penny Hardaway was in a bad mood after FAU beat Memphis in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Owls pulled off an incredible final possession to beat the Tigers, but it wasn't without controversy. The possession was only able to happen after a jump ball gave possession to FAU.

It definitely looked like it could have been a timeout for Memphis. Instead, the ball went back to the Owls, and FAU hit a 66-65 game winner.

Penny Hardaway launches water bottle after losing.

Well, Penny Hardaway wasn't in a great mood once the clock hit zero. He absolutely chucked his water bottle and was visibly displeased with the loss.

You can check out the broadcast feed of him doing his best shot put attempt below.

The water bottle incident also wasn't the only issue for Hardaway and the Tigers Friday night. Tension boiled over among his players late in the game, and there was a heated exchange going into a huddle.

All the way around, the final few minutes of the game were a comedy of disasters for Memphis. Did they get hosed on the jump ball call? There's a serious argument to be made they did, but that still doesn't excuse chucking a water bottle.

You can't let your emotions get the better of you.

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Penny Hardaway chucks water bottle after loss. (Credit: Screenshot/Twitter Video https://twitter.com/gifdsports/status/1636940782572544000)

The ending of the Memphis/FAU game also represents everything we love about March Madness. It was the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in an incredibly short period of time.

It looked like Memphis would get possession with just a couple seconds left. Nope. The ball went back to FAU, they hit a shot to win and Penny Hardaway lost it.

Welcome to the biggest stage in college sports.

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Penny Hardaway and Memphis lost to FAU in the opening round. (Photo by Tyler Schank/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Now, FAU has earned the right to play 40 more minutes of basketball. Fortunately for the Owls, Purdue lost to 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson. That means FAU has a great shot at the Sweet 16. Meanwhile, Penny Hardaway and Memphis will be watching from home.

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David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.