How BYU survived an ejection, furious Wisconsin rally for first Sweet 16 bid in 14 years

New York Times

23-03-2025

DENVER — All Dawson Baker could do was pace and watch in agony. The BYU guard was alone in the locker room, having been ejected with just more than three minutes to play.
After officials assessed him a flagrant-2 foul for 'non-incidental contact to the groin' of a Wisconsin player, he raised his arms, motioning to the raucous, blue-clad Cougars fan base as he left the court. In a game full of drama, he was only able to watch the ending in a tiny locker room, made more spacious because everyone else was out on the court.
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'It was a little bit of a nail-biter, watching it in here by myself,' Baker said. 'It was a little scary. I was just pacing around, watching it on the TV. It got close, and it got me nervous. But I'm just ecstatic that we won.'
No. 6 seed BYU held on to win 91-89 despite a furious comeback by No. 3 seed Wisconsin that included a missed chance to tie the score at the buzzer. The win sent the Cougars to their first Sweet 16 in 14 years and dealt the Big Ten its first NCAA Tournament loss after a 10-0 start.
BYU SURVIVES AND ADVANCES 😱
THE COUGARS ARE OFF TO THE #SWEET16 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/feAI9pW5t4
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 23, 2025
First-year head coach Kevin Young was fired up throughout the night, pumping his fist and high-fiving the team mascot as he ran to the locker room at halftime.
It was a chaotic game that featured six technical free throws. But it was also a game that BYU largely controlled until Wisconsin's late rally. The team that started 2-4 in Big 12 play has now won 11 of 12 games and is one of the hottest teams in college basketball heading into a third-round matchup in Newark, N.J., with the winner of Alabama-Saint Mary's.
'Words can't really describe it,' said senior Richie Saunders, who had 25 points. 'I've loved playing with this group. We've been together with some great additions, but there were a lot of us my freshman year taking some bad losses. And it's crazy just to think about how we've stuck together as a team'
The chippiness started early, when BYU guard Egor Demin shoved a Wisconsin player, who was standing out of bounds as Demin tried to inbound. The officials let that slide. Cougars forward Mawot Mag was assessed a technical at the end of the first half. Then Baker was ejected late in the second half.
Rules Analyst @GeneSteratore breaks down the ejection of BYU's Dawson Baker pic.twitter.com/tx4uDpnXbV
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 23, 2025
And on the Wisconsin side, an assistant coach was assessed a technical foul on the sideline. BYU was awarded two free throws that ended up being the difference in the game.
A frustrated Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard said the official couldn't tell him what his assistant said and noted he himself has said many things in frustration this season and hasn't come close to getting a technical.
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For a while, it looked like it wouldn't make much of a difference. BYU was up 14 points with 10:25 to play and still led by 11 with two and a half minutes left. Wisconsin could not get a stop for much of the night.
But the Badgers staged a furious late rally led by John Tonje, who finished with 37 points, including six in a span of 15 seconds to trim an eight-point lead to two.
In the closing seconds, he had the ball with a chance to tie. But his fadeaway jumper missed everything. The clock's expiration sent several Wisconsin players to the floor and BYU into a frenzy. Young rushed into the crowd to hug his family and high-five fans.
'I've had good memories in this building, and so this is by far the best one, man,' said Young, who was previously an NBA assistant with the Phoenix Suns. 'Just the energy in the building, you can't describe it. It felt like, honestly, a home game in certain moments for Cougar Nation, just everywhere, just so much blue out there.'
The BYU locker room was right next to Michigan, a team that pulled off a successful comeback earlier in the evening.
As the Wolverines went in to celebrate following their win over Texas A&M, BYU was just taking the court. The locker room party permeated through the walls. It gave a tangible example of what could come.
''That sounds so fun,' senior guard Trey Stewart said he told a teammate before they took the court. ''We need that.''
They got what they needed. Just with a little added drama.
(Photo of Richie Saunders: Isaiah J. Downing / Imagn Images)