Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
LAS VEGAS — Davies came out of the locker room for game number 130 as a member of the Brigham Young University basketball team, having carried a young team through a season of highs and lows, ups and downs, to this game against San Diego in the West Coast Conference tournament.
This was a game that Brandon Davies wanted to win from the moment the referees walked the ball to center court for the opening tip. The whistle was sounded, the ball sprang up, and Davies stretched out to tap it back to his teammates.
Roughly two hours later, Davies would walk off the court, burdened by the 11th loss on the season, more losses than he saw the first two years he was with the team. Despite his best game of the season, where Davies nearly reached a triple-double, BYU had fallen to San Diego 72-69.
The game was memorable, that is, if a game with nearly 40 personal fouls and 25 turnovers is captivating enough to carve out a home inside the memory bank of Cougars fans. But, in spite of the turnovers, offensive fouls, game delays, and lead changes, the game will be memorable for Davies.
#boxscore
Davies started the scoring for the Cougars, dropping in a jumper six seconds into the game. After a quick 7-0 run by the Toreros, Davies dropped in a layup to calm the team and steady the boat.
Throughout the game, Davies was a factor on offense. Whenever the team seemed to be slipping too far away, Davies was knocking down a jumper, getting to the free-throw line, or kicking the ball out to an open teammate.
He led the team in rebounds, with nine boards, all on the defensive end. His eight assists, a game-high for both teams, led to 18 points for BYU. Add that to his 20 points — two above his season average of 18 — and Davies was directly involved in 55 percent of the points scored by the Cougars on the night.
The loss leaves the future bleak for the team. A berth into the NCAA tournament is not an option — the invitation isn’t coming for Dave Rose’s squad this year. The team is now left hoping for an invitation to the NIT, with the possibility of hosting a game unlikely as well.
The loss also means that the season of the “Big Three” has come to a poetic end, with a first-round upset to a conference foe. The trio of Carlino, Haws and Davies combined to lead the team one final time, scoring 76.8 percent of the team’s 69 points.
The team now will wait and see if there are more games to be played in the postseason. While the NCAA tournament was a season goal for the team, earning a NIT appearance with two walk-ons and a football player playing a role in the rotation is something for the team to be proud of.
With that, it seems appropriate to close with some of the lyrics from a famous song by the old musical group, The Three Degrees, titled, “When will I see you again?”
When will I see you again?… Will I have to wait forever? Or will I have to suffer and cry the whole night through? … Is this my beginning or is this the end? When will I see you again?
Dan Lewis covers BYU sports for KSL.com. He is currently attending Brigham Young University, studying communications with an emphasis in multimedia journalism.
