Things are going from bad to Color Me Badd for Houston coach Tom Penders. First, a couple of ethically challenged shits publicy imply that Penders is trying to recruit Hitler. Then, the Cougars dropped a pair to such world-beaters as Rice and Central Florida. Now, to add insult to injury (literally), Penders gets teed up after collapsing during Houston’s 82-79 loss to UAB.
From the Houston Chronicle’s Michael Murphy.
With 52.6 seconds to play in the first half, Penders rose to his feet, staggered and then crumpled to his hands and knees on the sideline. After a few moments, Penders went flat as medical personnel rushed to attend to him.
Hampton strolled by, paused and called a technical foul on Penders, apparently thinking the Houston coach was reacting to a questionable intentional foul call on Smith.
But even when Penders was taken off the court on a stretcher, Hampton refused to rescind the technical.
“I didn’t even realize they called a technical on me until I was told later,” Penders said. “That’s absurd, that’s all I can say. But I’m not going to say that the officials cost us the game.”
Penders, 59, who has a history of heart problems, just shrugged off his collapse.
“I just started seeing stars,” he said. “I don’t know what happened. I never lost consciousness, so I felt it was OK to come back (and coach the second half). That was a heck of a game. A great game. They had to make what I would call a circus shot to win it.”