SMU’s Yanick Moreira Sends Heartbreaking Tweets After Goaltending Gaffe

The NCAA Tournament is great because of the emotions it can bring out in players and fans alike. Sometimes, though, those emotions are downright heartbreaking.

The SMU basketball team saw its season come to an abrupt end Thursday afternoon in the Round of 64, as the Mustangs dropped a nail-biter to UCLA. The game ended in controversy, as the Bruins took a 1-point lead on a goaltending call in the final seconds.

UCLA’s Bryce Alford threw up an off-balance 3-pointer with about 20 seconds to play, a shot that looked like it was going to fall short of the basket. However, SMU big man Yanick Moreira jumped in the air and batted the ball down as it was either about to hit the rim or go wide of the rim — it’s pretty much impossible to argue the ball had a chance of going in.

Moreira was called for goaltending, though, and SMU lost the game.

Moreira nearly broke down in tears during the postgame news conference, and after that, he logged on to Twitter to apologize to his teammates, coaches and school for the unfortunate blunder.

[tweet https://twitter.com/Ymoreira35/status/578684857259294722 align=’center’]

[tweet https://twitter.com/Ymoreira35/status/578691710156464130 align=’center’]

Moreira, a senior, also posted this note reflecting on the end of his college basketball career.

[tweet https://twitter.com/Ymoreira35/status/578744320259309568 align=’center’]

Poor guy.

Thumbnail photo via Jamie Rhodes/USA TODAY Sports Images