CBS affiliate in Ohio cut away from UNC-Kentucky finish for tornado warning

North Carolina’s Luke Maye, center, celebrates his game-winning shot with Joel Berry II and Kennedy Meeks. (Nelson Chenault/USA Today Sports)

This post has been updated.

North Carolina and Kentucky combined to play one of the best games of this year’s NCAA tournament in Sunday’s South Region final, a 75-73 Tar Heels win that featured a game-tying shot by Kentucky’s Malik Monk with 10 seconds to play and the game-winner by Luke Maye with 0.3 seconds remaining. And if you were watching CBS affiliate WBNS in Columbus, Ohio, you didn’t see the thrilling conclusion, at least not live.

As noted by Deadspin’s Timothy Burke, WBNS cut away from the game late in the second half to deliver news of a tornado warning for several nearby counties. Burke reports that WBNS showed a black screen for six minutes. Viewers who were watching the basketball game and were either unfazed by the threat of a tornado or would’ve considered a crawl on the screen sufficient, were not pleased.

Who was the idiot that decided to blow off the end of the basketball game to show a black screen and weather bla-bla? #WBNSscrewedup

— RockOPFD (@HoneDennis) March 26, 2017

SHOW THE GAME! You can't wait 30 seconds?!

— Andrew Moody (@SidBreamSlide) March 26, 2017

black screen, clueless weatherman, and missed a classic game. This better be the biggest tornado ever

— Nick ❌anno (@NManno53) March 26, 2017

you had a blank screen on to tell me the same thing the ticker was telling me before that. Thanks for making me miss the last 17 sec.

— W Flag (@cubslionsbucks) March 26, 2017

ARE YOU KIDDING ME @CBS? YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING. WBNS IN COLUMBUS, OHIO JUST CUT INTO THE UK VS UNC GAME WITH 30 SECONDS TO GO.

— Brian Joyce (@bjoyce_hoops) March 26, 2017

What are you doing?!?!? Why are you breaking into the game? You're running a banner at the top of the freaking screen!

— My Friend Jim (@IWalkAlone369) March 26, 2017

WBNS tried to make it up to its viewers by promising to air the final two minutes of North Carolina’s win at 8 p.m., but delayed the re-airing when the tornado warning was extended.

10TV will air the last two minutes of the North Carolina vs. Kentucky game at 8:00 p.m.

— 10TV (@10TV) March 26, 2017

UPDATE: Tornado warning extended for Delaware & Franklin Co. until 8:15pm. 10TV will air the last 2 min. of the UNC-UK once threat is over.

— 10TV (@10TV) March 27, 2017

Update: Around 9:15 p.m., WBNS issued the following statement:

We had a massive technical failure in the final seconds of the NCAA basketball game between the University of Kentucky and the University of North Carolina.

Once the situation was remedied we were under a tornado warning and lives were in danger. Upon the conclusion of the warning we aired the remaining minutes of the game.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Thanks to Deadspin for sharing.