Raw emotion of Central Florida’s agony of NCAA Tournament defeat captured in video

Perhaps more than any sport, a locker room following a NCAA Tournament game overflows with passion. Winning team celebrations can be over the top.

A losing team’s dejection … well, the heartbreak of Central Florida’s one-point loss to favored Duke on Sunday was captured on camera and by around noon on Tuesday had accumulated more than 3.2 million views on social media.

Sobs were audible as coach Johnny Dawkins addressed the team, which held a three-point lead with 14 seconds remaining before falling 77-76. The top-seeded Blue Devils had avoided a major upset at the hands of the ninth-seeded Knights.

“We end in tears … that’s because we’ve invested so much in each other,” Dawkins said. “I love you guys. It’s been amazing coaching this group.”

The video ends with Dawkins hugging several players.

Houston guard Corey Davis II, whose team plays in the same conference, was among the thousands who reacted to the video clip shared on Twitter.

“That group showed the fight we all as American conference basketball players have. Hate it ended in that fashion for them but they had an amazing year. Much love: UCF,” Davis wrote.

On a day when more distressing news dropped on college basketball — attorney Michael Avenatti accusing Nike of paying people close to Oregon’s Bol Bol and former Arizona player Deandre Ayton — the clip provides a reminder of how the tournament became March Madness.

This story was originally published March 26, 2019 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Raw emotion of Central Florida’s agony of NCAA Tournament defeat captured in video."