LARAMIE -- No fingers were involved, but the words used can't be repeated here.
Utah coach Jim Boylen was less than pleased when the Wyoming Cowboys finished off a 72-64 win at the Arena-Auditorium on Saturday with an alley-oop jam as time expired.
"We wouldn't have done that," Boylen said afterwards. "We don't do that. We pull the ball out and respect our opponent."
Those words were much kinder than the ones he used when he met UW coach Heath Schroyer for the traditional post-game handshake.
Boylen didn't have any comment on that conversation, but the obscenities could be heard loud and clear from 25 feet away.
Schroyer didn't think the play was malicious and wasn't overly-concerned with the suddenly-combustible conversation.
"It was kind of an instinct play, I believe; it was just one of those things," Schroyer said. "I have a lot of respect for Jim."
With under 10 seconds left, the Utes looked to foul Brad Jones, but didn't get a whistle.
Jones passed ahead to Brandon Ewing, who dribbled through traffic from half court to the corner on the offensive end as the seconds ticked away.
Ewing then saw Joseph Taylor streaking to the basket, and found him with a perfect alley-oop pass that Taylor finished easily.
"We were all yelling, 'No, pull it out, pull it out, pull it out' and Utah looked like they were chasing him and chasing guys," Schroyer said. "And I think it was an instinctive play with Brandon and Joe.
"I have all the respect in the world for the Utah program."
It was the second incident between the two schools since the start of this school year.
Utah led Wyoming 43-0 in a football game on Nov. 10 in Salt Lake City when Utes coach Kyle Whittingham called for an onside kick.
The Cowboys recovered the ball, but coach Joe Glenn responded with a middle finger that was caught by television cameras and received nationwide attention.
Saturday's situation probably won't create that much noise -- at least that's what Schroyer hopes.
"I think that it's probably going to be a lot more brought up to it than what it really is," Schroyer said. "(Boylen and I) are competitive. Both of us are trying to build programs and change cultures and it's February in March. When you're in those situations, sometimes those things happen."
Contact sports reporter Eric Schmoldt at (307) 266-0578 or eric.schmoldt@trib.com.
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Comments to this story.
PokeFan wrote on Mar 2, 2008 5:53 PM:
Bubba wrote on Mar 3, 2008 7:55 AM:
Brent wrote on Mar 3, 2008 9:05 AM:
It was an onsides kick not a field goal and the Utah coach had the guts to admit that it was a mistake. Your coach doesn't have that kind of character evidently. Anyway - since when does somthing that happened in a football game 5 months ago have anything to do with a basketball game? Oh and one more thing Einstien - do you really think that if Brandon was all alone with nobody on him, he would have pulled up and just dribbled out the time?! Cmon Dude! Bubba was right - you guys are sounding more and more like BYU fans all the time. "
quit crying wrote on Mar 3, 2008 6:30 PM:
utes are cryin' in the land of zion.
"
Who Cares wrote on Mar 3, 2008 7:06 PM:
This is such a none event. There is no comparison between two players (showing a lack of judgement albiet) dunking a ball at the buzzer in a 6 point game, and a coach's call to run an onsides kick up 43-0. The only spectacle was Boylen after the game, then continued into Monday
If I'm a Ute fan, I'm more concerned with the following:
1) Why are 2 of WYOs 12 wins against our team?
2) Why is our coach watching game film of this?
3) Why am I spending time reading the Wyoming fan blogs?
4) Why doesn't our coach start our best players?
5) How does our coach equate running things with class to profanity laden public rants?
6) How do we get 5000 fans to come to the Huntsman Center?
7) How do we beat CSU next week?
8) Solving the how karma works mystery
Good luck with those things...See you in Laramie this fall. Should be interesting. "
bubba wrote on Mar 3, 2008 11:20 PM:
Ok so here are my responses to your 8 questions...
1) Why are 2 of WYOs 12 wins against our team? ANSWER: Wyoming played better than we did in both games and they deserved the win.
2) Why is our coach watching game film of this? Who said he was - the classy act of an meaningless alley oop was right in front of him.
3) Why am I spending time reading the Wyoming fan blogs? Because maybe I am trying to figure out why the MWC took Wyoming over Hawaii or Fresno? Still haven't figured that one out. Maybe its all of those great memories created by Fennis Dembo in the WAC
4) Why doesn't our coach start our best players? That's actually a good question and I have no response to that one.
5) How does our coach equate running things with class to profanity laden public rants? Again, a good question that I happen to agree with. However I am not sure that profanity is a new thing in that venue in Laramie - but still a good question. I think the difference is that the dunk was disrespectful to a team and the profanity was aimed at the man who should have taught his team different values.
6) How do we get 5000 fans to come to the Huntsman Center? You don't own a tv this year do you?
7) How do we beat CSU next week? It's tomorrow genius and I think we will and I think at the end of the game we will play the ball out instead of playing to our egos. Look let's be honest - every team would be temped to make the same mistake that Wyoming did - including Utah. It's not that the mistake was made, it's the attempt to cover it up with "it was instinctive" instead of just saying it was a mistake.
8) Solving the how karma works
mystery - whatever the hell that means. "
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