Utah Valley loss got shocking troll.

Anger spread online after some trolls posted disturbing jokes about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a tense college basketball game in Paradise, Nevada.

Fans watched a dramatic ending in the Western Athletic Conference tournament championship on Saturday night. Utah Valley University nearly tied the game in the final seconds against California Baptist University. Guard Isaac Davis missed a last-second, wide-open alley-oop dunk that would have forced overtime.

The loss ended Utah Valley’s chance to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. California Baptist won the game 63-61 and earned the conference’s automatic spot in the tournament.

Soon after the highlight spread on social media, several users began posting jokes about Kirk’s death. Kirk had visited Utah Valley in September to speak with students when a gunman shot and killed him. Police later arrested Tyler James Robinson on suspicion of aggravated murder and other felony charges.

Many people online reacted with anger and called the posts cruel and disrespectful.

Troll Jokes Get Backlash Online

Charlie Kirk (Photo By Jasper Colt-USA TODAY)
The online reactions basically focused on the missed dunk.

One user responded to a clip of the play and wrote, “This has to be the worst shot in the history of Utah Valley University.”

Another comment mocked the tragedy more directly. One user wrote, “I thought nobody missed at Utah Valley University.”

A different post added, “[California] liberals shooting in [Utah Valley University] once again.”

One more comment read, “It’s a shame, until today utah valley was synonymous with good shooting.”

Many fans criticized the posts and said the jokes were inappropriate. Several people said it was wrong to connect a basketball loss with a real tragedy involving Charlie Kirk.

Before the controversy online, the game itself had a dramatic ending. Dominique Daniels Jr. from the California Baptist led a late comeback. He made three three-pointers in the final two minutes and finished the game with 23 points.

Daniels made two threes in a row that tied the score at 60 with just over a minute left. Then Jackson Holcombe from the Utah Valley grabbed an offensive rebound and made one free throw to give Utah Valley a short lead.

Daniels responded again. He hit another three-pointer as the shot clock expired, giving California Baptist a two-point lead with 14.6 seconds remaining.

Utah Valley had one last chance. Isaac Davis cut toward the basket for an alley-oop, but he missed the dunk as time ran out.

Holcombe led Utah Valley with 18 points. Davis scored 12 points, while Trevan Leonhardt recorded 10 rebounds and eight assists.

California Baptist improved to 25-8 and now waits for its seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Utah Valley finished the season at 25-8 and will play next in the National Invitation Tournament.