In a March Madness-worthy showdown, BYU’s Richie Saunders drained two game-winning free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining to topple No. 19 Arizona 96-95 on Saturday. The Cougars (19-8, 10-6 Big 12) secured their fourth straight victory and second consecutive win against a ranked opponent, cementing their status as a late-season threat.
Saunders dominated with 23 points on 8/10 shooting, including three critical three-pointers. His heroics overshadowed Arizona’s Caleb Love, who scored 27 points and briefly gave the Wildcats a 95-94 lead with 13 seconds left.
“We trusted our system even when they countered,” Saunders said postgame. “That baseline drive? Pure instinct.”
Key factors in BYU’s upset:
- Lights-out three-point shooting (14/31)
- Forcing 14 turnovers leading to 22 points
- Zero second-half turnovers after halftime adjustments
Arizona (18-9, 12-4) shot 54.2% overall but failed to capitalize during an eight-shot scoring streak early in the second half. The Wildcats’ 23 assists – their 10th 20+ assist game this season – couldn’t offset defensive lapses against BYU’s perimeter barrage.
With this win, BYU improves to 8-0 when hitting 14+ threes, a stark contrast to their 10/34 three-point performance in February’s 85-74 loss to Arizona. Both teams face pivotal matchups Wednesday: BYU visits Arizona State, while Arizona hosts Utah in a Pac-12/Big 12 rivalry clash.
