The BYU Cougars topped the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday night in a wild game that featured a controversial call, an incident between players and an explicit chant from the crowd in Tucson.
The Cougars won the game 96-95.
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BYU forward Richie Saunders drives against Arizona guard Jaden Bradley, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Tucson. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The Wildcats had the ball with under 12 seconds to play. Caleb Love was searching for some heroics and was fouled as he made a shot. But instead of receiving the possibility of completing a three-point play, Love was given only two free throws. He hit them both and put Arizona up 95-94 with a few seconds to play.
BYU moved the ball up the floor quickly. Cougars star Richie Saunders drove the lane and tried to float one toward the basket. He fell trying and a late whistle was heard. Arizona’s Trey Townsend was called for a foul. Saunders made both free throws and BYU won the game.
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Arizona’s Caleb Love and Henri Veesaar walk off the court after losing to BYU, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Tucson. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Players had to be separated as they were in the handshake line after the game. Furthermore, fans of the No. 19-ranked Wildcats were heard changing “f— the Mormons” as BYU left the floor.
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd disagreed with the last-second foul call.
“It’s a bad call. I mean like, whatever. What am I going to say? You hate for a game to be decided by that,” Lloyd said, via Sports Illustrated. “(Townsend) played good defense. The guy’s pivoting, pivoting, pivoting, throws his shoulder into him, throws up a shot and falls down. It’s a foul with two seconds to go. I mean listen, it’s the Big 12. That’s what I’m told. And the guy who called it is one of the best refs. So we’ve got to live with it.”
Arizona officials also issued an apology for the fans’ chant.
Arizona guard Caleb Love and BYU forward Mawot Mag talk during their game, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Tucson. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
“Following tonight’s men’s basketball game, it was brought to our attention that an unacceptable chant occurred,” athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois said in a statement.
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“On behalf of the University of Arizona Athletic Department, we apologize to BYU, their student-athletes, coaches and fans. The chant is not reflective of who we are and should not have happened.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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