The Big Lead

'Bad call' sparks controversy, confrontation in BYU's upset of Arizona

By Joe Lago

Feb 22, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; BYU Cougars center Keba Keita (13), guard Trey Stewart (1) and guard Dallin Hall (30) celebrate a win against the Arizona Wildcats at the end of the game at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
Feb 22, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; BYU Cougars center Keba Keita (13), guard Trey Stewart (1) and guard Dallin Hall (30) celebrate a win against the Arizona Wildcats at the end of the game at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images / Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
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March Madness must be near if terrible referee decisions are creating controversy in college basketball.

The most meaningful games aren't being played yet, but Saturday's Big 12 clash between BYU and No. 19 Arizona had the drama and intensity of an NCAA Tournament contest.

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The Cougars escaped McKale Center with a 96-95 road victory for their fourth win in a row and second straight triumph over a ranked opponent, after Richie Saunders sank the winning free throws with 3.2 seconds left.

The junior forward's heroics came courtesy of a very generous foul call by referee Tony Padilla.

Saunders, who led BYU with 23 points, drove to the basket but had his path cut off by the tight defense of Wildcats senior forward Trey Townsend. Saunders spun around Townsend to fling up a wild shot that didn't come close to hitting rim, but the move still convinced Padilla to blow his whistle.

The loss was only Arizona's second under head coach Tommy Lloyd when it scores 90 or more points. Lloyd tried to take the high road on the decisive late-game sequence.

"It's a bad call," Lloyd told reporters afterward. "I mean, like, whatever. What am I going to say? You hate for a game to be decided by that."

"Guy is pivoting, pivoting, pivoting, throws his shoulder in him, throws up a shot and falls down. It's a foul with two seconds to go," Lloyd added. "It's the Big 12. That's what I'm told. The guy who called it is one of the best refs. We've got to live with it."

Lloyd blamed the Wildcats' third loss in their last four games on their poor defense.

"They scored 94 points up to that point on our home court. That's the problem. That's the problem," Lloyd said. "Me and my staff and our players, that's the problem, not the officials."

Amid the crowd's boos during the postgame handshakes, things got heated between BYU's Mawot Mag and Arizona's Caleb Love.

The McKale atmosphere got uglier with an "unacceptable chant" about the faith of Cougars fans.

Desireé Reed-Francois, Arizona's vice president and director of athletics, issued an apology to "BYU, their student-athletes, coaches and fans" and condemned the chant as "not reflective of who we are and should not have happened."

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