TUCSON, Arizona — Whether it was a foul, or not, was debated long into the night here in the desert. It was one of those calls that will be cheered by the winners, and thrashed by the losers, from here to eternity.
All the victorious BYU Cougars know is that they completed what was simply a phenomenal week of college basketball, following that 34-point home win over No. 23 Kansas with a thrilling 96-95 conquest of No. 19 Arizona in front of 14,688 maddened fans and a national television audience late Saturday night.
“What ultimately won it,” said BYU coach Kevin Young, “was sheer toughness.”
And two of the biggest free throws of Richie Saunders’ ever-improving BYU career.
And, of course, a call with 3.2 seconds remaining by referee Tony Padilla that will live in infamy in Tucson and be praised to the high heavens, naturally, in Provo.
For many BYU fans, the questionable call in which Trey Townsend bumped a pivoting Saunders, was payback for a series of calls in the final two minutes, 15 seconds that went Arizona’s way.
Credit Saunders for drilling the free throws after having missed a free throw with 41 seconds left that would have given BYU a five-point lead.
Saunders’ take: “Just trying to figure out how to make something happen. Luckily (Townsend) bit a little bit on the shot fake and I was fortunate enough to get to the line.”
Arizona’s inbounds throw was intercepted, and the Cougars (19-8, 10-6) celebrated one of the bigger wins in school history. Perhaps they celebrated a bit too much, because there was a minor skirmish in the handshake line and the line couldn’t be completed.
Young said he wasn’t sure what happened after an Arizona television reporter suggested that a BYU player was out of control and had to be restrained by his teammates.
“There was a lot going on. At the end of the day, I just think it was two really competitive groups in a hostile environment and sometimes that happens. We were not trying to start anything. I will have to just see what happened on the film and address it with our team,” Young said.
Arizona’s Caleb Love, who scored his team’s final seven points, including a 3-pointer with 32 seconds left to cut BYU’s lead to one and two free throws with 12.5 seconds left that gave the home team the lead, downplayed it as well.
“Just talking. Wasn’t that crazy,” said Love, who finished with a game-high 27 points.
Arizona fans say it should have been 28; They wanted some continuation on that final layup, but officials wiped away the bucket after he was fouled going to the hoop by Dallin Hall and awarded two free throws.
What was Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd’s take on the last call?
“It is a bad call. I mean, like, whatever. What am I going to say? I mean, you hate for a game to be decided by that. Trey (Townsend), I feel horrible for him. … He played good defense. (Saunders) is pivoting, pivoting, pivoting, throws a shoulder into him. Throws up a shot, it is a foul with two seconds to go.
“I mean, listen, it is the Big 12. That’s what I am told, and the guy (Padilla) who called it is one of the best refs, so we gotta live with it. But, step back,” Lloyd continued. “They scored 93 points up to that point. That’s the problem. That’s the problem. Me and my staff and our players, that’s the problem. Not the officials. It would have been great to steal a victory if they don’t call that, but still, don’t put yourself in that position. That is the problem.”
The controversial ending marred what was a highly entertaining, tense battle that featured 20 lead changes and 11 ties. It was the most points scored by a visiting team since BYU beat Arizona 99-69 at McKale Center on Dec. 28, 2009, when Jimmer Fredette scored 49 points — which still stands as the most points a player has ever scored in the arena.
Saunders didn’t score at that level, but he did have 23 points on 8 of 10 shooting from the field. Kanon Catchings added 14 off the bench, while Egor Demin added 13.
Mawot Mag chipped in 11, while Keba Keita had 10 points and six rebounds.
As for those winning free throws, Saunders said they were the result of a lot of practice. The Cougars were 10 of 14 from the line, while UofA was 21 of 25.
Twenty-one fouls were called on BYU, 18 on Arizona.
“Ever since I was a little kid, in the church gym, that’s what I practiced,” Saunders said. “You practice and you hope for moments like that where you can step up and shoot those free throws.
“It is so loud and everything is on the line. That’s why you play basketball.”
BYU scored on 13 of its last 19 possessions; A 3-pointer by Trevin Knell with just over three minutes remaining gave BYU an 87-83 lead, and another by Mag pushed BYU ahead 90-86 with 2:02 left.
While the Cougars were making shots, the Wildcats were parading to the free-throw line.
“Tough call (on the Saunders play),” said Love, “but the first 39 minutes we were terrible defensively. That’s not us. We hang our hat on defense. They got whatever they wanted tonight: 3s, offensive rebounds, second-chance points, layups.”
Arizona’s Carter Bryant hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to cut BYU’s lead at the break to 47-44. The Cougars made six of their 14 triples in the first half.
Hall picked up three fouls in the first half and played only five minutes in the first half, 15 in the game, but had four points and five assists.
The Cougars led by as many as eight in the first half, taking a 45-37 advantage with 2:21 left in the half. The Cougars shot 55% (18 of 33) in the half.
BYU is now 17-5 when leading at halftime, while Arizona is 0-8 when trailing after the first 20 minutes.
“To win in this environment was huge,” Young said. “My message to our group was whatever the next challenge in front of us, we are trying to attack it.
“I know that sounds cliche. That’s really been the recipe for us, to not look any further than what we have to do at that moment. Our guys were challenged at hand and we came in and took care of business.”
