Colorado coach Tad Boyle injures calf trying to break up skirmish
Colorado’s Tad Boyle will be coaching with an injured calf for the remainder of the Pac-12 tournament.
Boyle hurt himself Wednesday after rushing to the court to stop a late-game skirmish between his players and Arizona State. The eighth-year Buffaloes coach left T-Mobile Arena with a boot on his right foot.
A team doctor told Boyle he either tore or strained his calf. Colorado defeated Arizona State 97-85 to advance to Thursday’s quarterfinal game against No. 1 seed Arizona.
.@CUBuffsMBB head coach Tad Boyle gives an update on an injury he sustained late in the Buffs' first round #Pac12Hoops Tournament game vs. Arizona State. pic.twitter.com/IybLr7kKGO
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) March 8, 2018
The scuffle ensued after Sun Devils guard Tra Holder shoved Colorado freshman Tyler Bey, a Las Vegas native.
Bey’s garbage-time alley-oop dunk with seven seconds left didn’t sit well with Arizona State players, who called the play disrespectful.
“Felt like somebody hit me with a golf ball or shotgun there as I ran out,” Boyle said. “So I don’t know what happened. But it doesn’t feel too good. But the win makes it feel better.”
Boyle apologized to Arizona State for the unnecessary dunk.
“Let me start by apologizing to Arizona State for what happened at the end there,” Boyle said. “We certainly weren’t trying to rub it in their face.”
Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GManzano24 on Twitter.