Arizona basketball fans weren’t pleased when the visiting BYU Cougars upset the 19th-ranked Wildcats 96-95 on Saturday night. Disgruntled Arizona supporters reacted by leading an anti-Mormon chant as BYU players left the court.
“F—- the Mormons,” fans chanted.
On Sunday, Arizona athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois apologized to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, who represent about 98% of BYU’s student body.
“Following tonight’s men’s basketball game, it was brought to our attention that an unacceptable chant occurred,” Reed-Francois said in a statement. “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.”
Tensions ran high on Saturday night due to the tightly contested game and a pair of questionable last-second calls, one involving Arizona’s Caleb Love fighting through contact to sink a go-ahead shot with 12.5 seconds left to give the Wildcats a shot at a two-point lead.
Referees said Love was not in the act of shooting when the foul occurred. Instead of a chance at a three-point play, the guard sank both free throws to secure a one-point lead.
Nine seconds later, BYU’s Richey Saunders connected on a pair of free throws to seal the victory. The hometown fans were not pleased with the call, showering the referees with boos. The animosity continued after the whistle, as coaches had to separate players from both squads during a confrontation on the handshake line.
“It’s a bad call. I mean, like, whatever. What am I going to say?” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said after the game. “You hate for a game to be decided by that.”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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