alt=Jeff CallPROVO — As of Thursday afternoon, the day after BYU’s gut-wrenching 102-95 overtime loss at Utah, there was no official update on forward Yoeli Childs’ health or status.
Childs, playing in his first game of the season after sitting out for the first nine games due to an NCAA suspension, scored a game-high 29 points on 12 of 16 shooting from the floor in nearly 26 minutes of play Wednesday night before a crowd of 11,565 at the Huntsman Center.
But Childs missed much of the second half after leaving the game twice due to what appeared to be cramping in his leg.
Childs’ last basket came with 16 minutes remaining.
And the Utes came storming back — the Cougars led by as many as 16 points twice — and forced overtime before earning a seven-point victory in OT.
Late in the game, Childs was helped off the floor and didn’t return.
But it’s not the first time something similar has happened to Childs against Utah. Two years ago, he suffered leg cramps against the Utes in BYU’s 77-65 win in Provo.
Days after that victory, Childs told reporters that he didn’t like what he saw out of himself while dealing with cramps.
“It was embarrassing, rolling around on the ground like a little girl in front of 20,000 people,” he said at the time. “You can’t really control it but it’s definitely a game you want to be playing in.”
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, things got heated at the end of the game, proving that this rivalry remains intense though the two programs compete in different leagues.
BYU senior guard Jake Toolson got involved in a verbal exchange with the Utah bench, particularly Ute coach Larry Krystkowiak, in the final minutes.
Then after the final buzzer sounded, as the two teams went through the handshake line, Pope and Krystkowiak touched hands just briefly as they passed each other.
“It’s hard to shake a hand when you lose a game,” Krystkowiak said in his postgame interview with reporters. “I’ve been on that end and it is frustrating. I know Mark is a standup guy and there is nothing to it. There is a lot of emotion in the ball game. It’s all right. I understand that and the nature of it.”
After the handshake line was over, Utah’s director of basketball operations, Chris Jones, and Pope, reportedly were involved in an altercation and had to be separated. Jones is the father of Ute guard Rylan Jones, who scored 25 points and had six assists against the Cougars.
When asked about the incident after the game, Pope said, “I don’t really have much to say about that. When we go through the lines, coaches should have enough restraint not to get into it with players.”
Frustration was running high for BYU, which squandered a double-digit lead in the second half, was outscored 31-7 on fast break opportunities and was outscored 62-38 in the paint.
Utah went to the free-throw line 31 times compared to 17 times for the Cougars.
Asked about the officiating, Pope responded, “I thought the officials were amazing. That’s probably the best crew that’s ever stepped foot on the planet. And, I’ll tell you this — a really brave and courageous crew. That crew, I would take them every single game. They’re amazing.”
More interesting stats from Wednesday’s contest — BYU knocked down 12 of 24 3-point attempts while Utah hit just 4 of 18. The Utes compensated for that with a flurry of layups and trips to the charity stripe.
The Cougars have now lost two road games in overtime this season. They also fell at Boise State, 72-68, on Nov. 20.
BYU (6-4) faces UNLV Saturday afternoon at Vivint Arena. The Rebels (4-6) are coming off an 81-80 win in double overtime at Fresno State Wednesday night.