Mason Gillis, a former Purdue forward now playing for Duke, was assessed a flagrant foul during the second half of Duke’s Final Four game against Houston. In the game, Gillis, who is playing in his second consecutive Final Four but with a new team, was called for a Flagrant 1 after accidentally hitting Houston’s Joseph Tugler in the face with his arm.
24-year-old Mason Gillis with the MMA spinning blind elbow on Joseph Tugler. #FinalFour
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— The Whole Delivery (@TWDTV1) April 6, 2025
The foul occurred while LJ Cryer of Houston made a three-pointer. After reviewing the play, officials determined that the contact above the shoulders warranted a Flagrant 1 foul, even though it didn’t appear that Gillis had intended to make the hit.
At the time of the foul, Duke led 59-45. Cryer’s three-pointer reduced the lead to 11 points, and he added a free throw and another basket to make it 59-51. Houston then surged back with a 25-8 run, ultimately defeating Duke 70-67 to advance to the National Championship Game, where they will face Florida.
Gillis transferred to Duke after the 2023-24 season at Purdue, where he helped the team win the Big Ten regular season title and reach the National Championship Game. In his lone season with Duke, he has averaged 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.
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