BYU basketball head coach Mark Pope reacts because the Brigham Younger Cougars play the San Francisco Dons within the 2022 West Coast Convention males’s basketball quarterfinals on the Orleans Area in Las Vegas on Saturday, March 5, 2022. BYU misplaced 63-75. Kristin Murphy, Deseret Information
LAS VEGAS — A refrain of boos from the pro-BYU crowd at Orleans Area greeted San Francisco guard Jamaree Bouyea’s pointless last-second dunk Saturday evening, an exclamation level on the Dons’ 75-63 win over the Cougars that just about assures the 24-8 workforce a berth within the NCAA Event.
However neither Bouuyea nor USF coach Todd Golden apologized for it.
In reality, Golden stated, “I might need advised him to go dunk it as nicely” within the postgame interview room, when Bouyea was requested why he went by way of with the dunk that, in most circles, could be thought-about unsportsmanlike.
“You realize, after we performed at BYU (a 73-59 USF win) they kinda stated some issues. … It was slightly chippy within the recreation, and kinda bodily, went kinda sideways slightly bit. So I believe that was kinda private and I simply went for the dunk on the buzzer.” — San Francisco guard Jamaree Bouyea.
Is there dangerous blood between the packages?
Bouyea, who was assessed a technical foul for hanging on the rim after the dunk, appeared to point that there's, a minimum of from San Francisco’s perspective.
Golden stated there isn’t, noting that he has tons of respect for BYU coach Mark Pope and his workers.
The dunk “was kinda private,” stated Bouyea, who completed with 18 factors, six rebounds and 4 assists.
“You realize, after we performed at BYU (a 73-59 USF win) they kinda stated some issues. … It was slightly chippy within the recreation, and kinda bodily, went kinda sideways slightly bit. So I believe that was kinda private and I simply went for the dunk on the buzzer,” stated Bouyea, a senior from Seaside, California.
Requested in regards to the end when it was his flip to deal with the media, BYU’s Pope brushed the query off and stated if the Cougars don’t need that form of stuff to occur, they need to win the sport.
Golden, whose workforce will meet No. 1 seed Gonzaga in one among Monday’s semifinals, stated feelings have been excessive as a result of a lot was on the road.
“There isn't a dangerous blood. It's two actually good packages, competing on the identical excessive stage, which can be going to play all 40 minutes of the sport,” he stated.
“I'd anticipate them to do one thing related. Not dangerous blood, however when one among my guys has a chance to place an enormous exclamation mark on an enormous win for our program, one that's most likely one of many greatest wins within the final 35 years (it’s comprehensible). It secures our match bid.”
Golden stated the Dons “left little doubt tonight” that they should be within the Massive Dance. The one query that is still, he stated, is whether or not or not they're sporting dwelling or highway jerseys when the match begins in two weeks — the distinction between an 8 and a 9 seed in a single route or the opposite.
“We managed the sport after the primary 4 minutes,” Golden stated, nodding towards Bouyea and fellow guard Kahlil Shabazz, who was simply pretty much as good with a game-high 22 factors.
“These two guys sitting subsequent to me I believe are the 2 finest guards within the league, and continued evening in and evening out to present us an opportunity to win regardless of who we're enjoying.”
San Francisco outscored the Cougars 48-39 within the second half, however the first half is the place the tone was set, and the place BYU faltered an excessive amount of and didn’t reply nicely when it misplaced its early lead.
San Francisco’s Patrick Tape discovered himself with the basketball close to the ring and started gathering for an obvious slam dunk. As a substitute, BYU’s Te’Jon Lucas streaked by, swiped the ball and began up the courtroom.
Then the whistle got here.
As BYU’s trustworthy collectively expressed their disgust and Pope went ballistic on the sidelines over the decision that was iffy, at finest, Tape hit one among two free throws to chop BYU’s result in two.
Seconds after Lucas’ second foul, BYU’s Caleb Lohner missed the entrance finish of a one-and-one alternative, and Bouyea scored 5 straight factors to present the Dons a lead they'd not relinquish the remainder of the way in which.
The foul grew to become greater when Lucas picked up his third earlier than the primary half was over and his fourth with 16:26 left within the recreation, ostensibly taking the Cougars’ level guard and finest on-ball defender off the courtroom once they wanted him essentially the most towards the red-hot Bouyea and Shabazz.
BYU’s backcourt of Lucas and Alex Barcello mixed for 26 factors on 9 of 23 taking pictures; Bouyea and Shabazz teamed up for 40.
That two-minute stretch from the seven-minute mark of the primary half to the 5 minute mark, as a lot as the rest, doomed the Cougars.
BYU went out and in of the NCAA Event in a matter of two hours, in keeping with ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s projections.
Merely put, when adversity struck the Cougars, they didn't reply nicely.
After Bouyea’s buckets — one got here when BYU followers have been screaming for a shifting display screen — Tape and Shabazz hit free throws and Gabe Stefanini drained an open 3-pointer to present the Dons a 26-19 lead.
BYU contributed to the rally, as Spencer Johnson missed a entrance finish of a one-and-one, Gideon George had a wild shot blocked by Tape and Trevin Knell dropped a rebound out of bounds.
A 3-point favourite, San Francisco used that momentum to take a 27-24 halftime lead after which poured it on within the second half, when it clearly outplayed a BYU workforce that entered the match recreation having gained 15 of its final 20 conferences with USF, together with 4 of the final 5.
With BYU soccer coach Kalani Sitake watching from the entrance row throughout from USF’s bench, the Cougars have been outmuscled by a workforce they edged 71-69 in San Francisco on Jan. 15.
San Francisco gained the rebounding battle 41-37 and scored 18 quick break factors to BYU’s seven, which was principally the ultimate margin.
The Cougars at the moment are 11-11 in WCC match video games, all performed at Orleans Area; They actually gained’t miss the place once they transfer on to the Massive 12 in 2023.