After losing four straight, the BYU men’s basketball team was desperate to right the ship on Saturday night before the conference tournament begins.
The Cougars were able to do just that, dismantling a solid Dons team at the Marriott Center, 87-61.
The win gives BYU some much-needed momentum heading into the West Coast Conference Tournament next week in Las Vegas. The victory also gives the Cougars a fifth-place finish in its final season in the league.
First half
The first half was closely contested for the first 18 minutes of game time, but quickly changed into the Cougars’ hands with a 10-2 run to end the first half. The run began with a Jaxson Robinson three-pointer with around two minutes to play.
BYU led 40-27 at the intermission, thanks to a strong shooting effort and solid defense. The first half saw the home team knock down 50% of its shots in the opening frame.
Second half
BYU continued their dominance from the end of the first half to begin the second half, and they were able to keep a double-digit lead throughout the remaining 20 minutes.
The Cougars took their largest lead of the game in the second half in the closing minute after Spencer Johson made a three-pointer to put BYU up by 26 points.
The Cougars would finish off the Dons with an impressive 87-61 victory at home. This win should give fans some sense of hope going into the WCC Tournament, knowing that they can beat good teams in the conference when they play well together.
Something to build on
This season has been a forgettable one for coach Mark Pope and the Cougars.
Coming off a 24-win season and an appearance in the NIT quarterfinals, BYU finished with an overall record of 17-14 and just 7-9 in WCC play, good for a tie for fifth place. For a team that is used to winning more games and placing higher in the standings, this has been an off-year for the Cougars.
Although they haven’t had the season that they hoped for, BYU still has an opportunity to shine in the biggest moment of the season. The WCC Tournament starts this upcoming week, and if BYU can build off the great team victory in the regular season finale, they might have a shot as a dark horse team.
No one expects the Cougars to win the tournament, as they have yet to do so in their first 11 seasons as a member of the WCC. In fact, BYU has failed to win a conference tournament title since defeating New Mexico in the 2001 Mountain West Tournament final.
However, if they were to pull out a huge upset in their last year at the WCC Tournament, it would be a very memorable moment for their fans in the midst of a rollercoaster campaign.
Up next
The Cougars will be included in the upcoming WCC Tournament at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The tournament will begin on Thursday, March 2, and conclude with the championship game on Tuesday, March 7.
The time and date of their first tournament game will be announced on Sunday.
