This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Brigham Young University athletic director Tom Holmoe issued a statement Monday regarding the "poor sportsmanship" displayed by BYU students and fans during and after the Cougars' 80-66 loss to St. Mary's on Saturday at the Marriott Center. Students threw wadded paper and wadded rally towels on floor several times to show their displeasure with the officiating. The first incident, right before halftime, resulted in a warning. When a wadded towel hit the floor early in the second half, the officiating crew of James Giron, Glen Mayberry and Frank Harvey issued an "administrative technical foul" and awarded the Gaels two free throws. More debris — nothing that could have seriously harmed a person — flew out of the stands at the end of the game. Giron also called technical fouls on Loyola Marymount's bench and on BYU coach Dave Rose during the game. Here's Holmoe's statement: "I love the passion and enthusiasm or our student section and appreciate the support our team receives from fans in the Marriott Center. I know Cougar fans were frustrated Saturday night, be we simply cannot engage in poor sportsmanship. Our goal should be for visiting teams and officials to leave BYU having been treated with respect. I greatly appreciate the majority of our fans who show good sportsmanship at each and every home. This Thursday, against a great team from Gonzaga, I fully expect all our fans to show the same passionate yet respectful support that has made the Marriott Center such a storied place to play over the years." The loss followed a home loss to Loyola Marymount two weeks ago and marked the first time in Rose's tenure that the Cougars have lost back-to-back home games. It was televised nationally by ESPNU.