Social Media Goes Off After BYU Upsets No. 19 Arizona
Feb 22, 2025, 11:47 PM | Updated: Feb 23, 2025, 2:31 am
BYU basketball head coach Kevin Young celebrates with his team after the Cougars defeat No. 19 Arizona in Tucson. (Courtesy of BYU Photo)
(Courtesy of BYU Photo)
BYU basketball knocked off No. 19 Arizona inside the McKale Center, 96-95.
It was a second consecutive signature victory for the Cougars in a week where they knocked off Kansas by 34 points in Provo.
The win at Arizona had some drama. With 3.2 seconds remaining, officials called a foul on Wildcats forward Trey Townsend, sending Richie Saunders to the foul line. Saunders then hit two free throws to give BYU the upset victory.
The late foul call was a hot topic on social media after the game. However, BYU’s recent success had people buzzing about the potential of BYU making a run in March Madness next month.
BYU basketball upsets No. 19 Arizona: Social media reacts
BYU TAKES DOWN NO. 19 ARIZONA IN TUCSON‼️ pic.twitter.com/pCBPDO0NRR
— ESPN (@espn) February 23, 2025
If that foul call was made during the NCAA Tournament, there would be a national uproar. Let’s put it another way. @BYUMBB Richie Saunders, who should be First Team All @Big12Conference, is a very astute player. @Big12Conference
— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) February 23, 2025
UPSET!!
BYU 96, No. 19 Arizona 95
Back-to-back wins over Top 25 teams for the first time since 1988.
That’s a win where you climb seed lines. Massive victory.
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) February 23, 2025
BYU completed a week that included wins over Kansas and Arizona.
These are the weeks Cougar fans have dreamed of for years.
BYU basketball is stacking them up.
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) February 23, 2025
I really do love my @BYUMBB–@UNMLoboMBB days. The Cougars were older, tough and, sometimes, borderline dirty, like the old guys at the Y. But in the handshake line, they made mother Teresa look like a hoodlum. Great people!
— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) February 23, 2025
What an unbelievable game! So proud of our guys and kudos to @ArizonaMBB . That was one of the best games I’ve seen this season! pic.twitter.com/oaTojC6Y0X
— Will Voigt (@CoachWillVoigt) February 23, 2025
Gut check win for BYU, which has two consecutive over ranked teams.
— Patrick Kinahan (@PKKinahan) February 23, 2025
BYU STEALS ONE ON THE ROAD 😱
The Cougars pull off the upset over No. 19 Arizona 👀 pic.twitter.com/sKT9rEvv5L
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) February 23, 2025
Cardiac Cougs.#Big12MBB | @BYUMBB pic.twitter.com/xXBAi7Uhgm
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) February 23, 2025
BYU gets the win that will eventually prove significant to sending the Cougars to the NCAAT. Watching on @jeffborzello’s phone, so I don’t know if that foul against Arizona was legit, but still: what a victory for Kevin Young in Year 1.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) February 23, 2025
What a week for BYU. The Cougars blow out Kansas and then beat Arizona in Tucson. Kevin Young & Co. have arrived. Getting better and better.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) February 23, 2025
Amen pic.twitter.com/e799dRVu7H
— The ROC (@byuROC) February 23, 2025
Designing a new BYU Basketball jersey after each win!
1️⃣9️⃣ pic.twitter.com/88ArR9gKTB
— BYU Uniform Tracker (@BYUTracker) February 23, 2025
RICHIE. SAUNDERS.
THE MAN. pic.twitter.com/Z8hURYzEz6
— BYU Men’s Basketball (@BYUMBB) February 23, 2025
We’ve reached the “BYU won the basketball game so now it’s time to bash their religion” phase of the night 🤣
— Jonny Linehan (@jlinehan9) February 23, 2025
Add it to the stack @BYUMBB! 😤
— BYU (@BYU) February 23, 2025
Huge win for BYU.
Non-terrible loss for Arizona.
Abominable finish for Big 12 officials.— Jon Wilner (@wilnerhotline) February 23, 2025
BYU and Arizona is very good basketball. Bless NIL.
— Kevin Zimmerman (@KZimmermanAZ) February 23, 2025
BYU has now won 47 in a row when leading with 5:00 left in the game.
Cougs led 80-79 with 5 to go today.
— Nate Slack (@nateslack5) February 23, 2025
I told you guys it takes time!! It’s all about playing good at the right time! Chemistry is coming together! Go BYU!! https://t.co/iWv5YNZYTy
— Kyle Collinsworth (@collinsworth55) February 23, 2025
BYU WITH THE HUGE UPSET OVER ARIZONA! That was a bad foul call, but the Cougars were awesome today. This game in general was terrific.
Richie Saunders scored 23 points and pretty much punched their NCAA Tournament ticket today.
Not a team I’d want to face in the early rounds.
— Sean Paul (@SeanPaulCBB) February 23, 2025
…. BYU gets the benefit of a questionable late foul call at McKale and beats Arizona for a consecutive pair of ranked wins for the first time in *squints* 37 years.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) February 23, 2025
Mannnnn GO COUGS!!!!!!
— Coach Justin Anderson (@BYU_CoachJustin) February 23, 2025
WE ARE THE COUGARS OF BYU!!!!!!
— Jonathan Tavernari (@For3JT) February 23, 2025
No matter the result tonight, BYU is officially a factor here to win games in March imo. Cougars have been playing much better ball over the past 6 weeks
— Christian Odjakjian (@OdjHoops) February 23, 2025
I’M FRICKEN CRYING
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭@BYUMBB is on fire 🔥DAS MY NEPHEWS!!!🤟🏾 pic.twitter.com/3BPbxc6LBh
— #IamJackDamuni 🇫🇯 (@JackDamuni) February 23, 2025
🐻 ⬇️… 🤙🏾’s⬆️!!! I see y’all @BYUMBB heck of a game! #GoCougs
— Harvey Unga (@unga45) February 23, 2025
Wow!! That feeling of beating a top ranked team in their own gym is a great feeling! Go Cougs! @BYUMBB
— Nick Emery (@04NickEmery) February 23, 2025
We Known to Ķíll the biggest cats of all kittens🫡🫡🫡 @BYUMBB
— ✞ one of one ✞ (@therriannn) February 23, 2025
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
