Social media is outraged about BYU’s controversial win over Arizona
Arizona’s Caleb Love steps up to the foul line for the second of a pair of free throws in the final moments of a drawn-out battle with the visiting BYU Cougars. A negligible Mawot Mag hip check sent him to the free throw line with a chance to take the lead over head coach Kevin Young’s side.
Inhale. Exhale. Eyes locked on the goal, knees bent, and hands beneath the basketball, Arizona’s star guard releases his tenth free throw of the contest and seventh in the past two minutes. Snapping through nylon, Love’s free throw lifted the Wildcats above the Cougars 95-94.
One timeout later, BYU’s Richie Saunders held possession above the three-point curve with Oakland transfer, Trey Townsend squared and ready to impede the Cougar guard’s drive to the basket. A dribble right and jump stop didn’t surprise the Wildcat defender, who stood with his arms in the air and no clear way to the basket.
Pivot right. Pivot left. A final heave attempted by Saunders caught air instead of iron as the final moments remained on the game clock. Shooting foul was the call and two free throws were awarded to BYU’s scrappy guard.
Both free throws would fall and BYU would hold on to win in a 96-95 final at the McKale Center. The Cougars’ second-straight victory over a ranked opponent and the key to lock in a tournament bid was found in this final.
Some chirpiness in the postgame handshake line turned to ugly chants from the Arizona faithful, yelling “F— the Mormons” just like Providence earlier this season. However, the controversial reception of this game’s result didn’t lie in the hateful cheers on display, but rather in the final whistle that sent Saunders to the line for his game-clinching free throws.
Upon further review, as Richie turns for his final shot attempt, the defending Townsend steps up to stonewall his move, initiating contact and bumping the shooter with his body.
Undeniable foul in any situation? No, not quite. The defender deserves credit for moving his feet and keeping his hands in the air, but a hit from the defender’s side indicates the defense wasn’t quite square with the shooting Saunders. Initiating contact and altering Saunders’ momentum makes it a clear foul on Arizona.
Especially while considering the types of calls the Wildcats were the beneficiaries of down the stretch. Caleb Love shot 7 free throws in the final 2:15 of regulation, including the lead-stealing points. A star whistle was allowed to Love, with 3 straight poor decisions from the officials sending him to the charity stripe 3 straight times.
An empty 3-pointer was recalled without contact, and two Keba Keita contests were whistled for questionable reasons. The third foul in this clip shows the most contact (meaning any contact at all), but a straight-up jump from Keita with his arms vertical means the offensive player initiated all contact.
The icing on the cake was Mawot Mag’s foul on the floor as Love attacked the rim. The illegal contact? A minor bump from the hip of Mag — one that was arguably less agreeable than the final call which benefitted the Cougars.
Here’s the point: blaming referees for a loss is an unfortunate norm in the world of sports, and not a fair one to make in almost every circumstance. In this case, the final contact that delivered BYU a chance to seal the game was not only easily apparent, but matched with calls in Arizona’s favor.
Don’t let an amazing basketball game go to waste by blaming the officials.
