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PROVO — A dominant 89-76 win over Santa Clara Thursday showcased just how explosive the BYU offense can be and also provided further proof that the Cougars’ bench has made substantial progress.
Four players scored in double figures for BYU, and each of them should be recognized, but what has perhaps renewed the Cougars’ hopes of running the table to obtain an NCAA Tournament at-large bid has to be the strides of the young core.
It’s hard not to focus on Tyler Haws scoring 27 points in barely 28 minutes. The junior was seemingly choosing the spots he wanted to score from against the visiting Broncos.
No one has been able to prevent sophomore Kyle Collinsworth from getting to the basket over the last two games, and his steady production is evident in another balanced stat line of 18 points, five steals, four assists and three rebounds.
Freshman Eric Mika made a number of low-post moves that left his defender no choice but to hack him, and even then he was able to finish at the rim.
Then there was junior Skyler Halford, who posted 12 points, six rebounds and four assists, diving for loose balls all over the floor.
But the unheralded bench featured four players that logged nine minutes or more, and although it came in a blowout against the West Coast Conference cellar-dwelling Broncos, it demonstrated the amount of trust head coach Dave Rose is developing in his reserves.
BYU had already reached 87 points with 4:30 to go — the fourth time this season the Cougars have scored that many at the point in a game — and the bench played a big role in building the then 27-point lead.
Freshman Luke Worthington was lauded for his physical play on Saint Mary's' Brad Waldow Saturday despite picking up five fouls in 10 minutes, and Rose was more than pleased with his seven-point, two-rebound performance Thursday.
“He just keeps getting better,” Rose said of Worthington. “In practice, he’s playing better. Everybody just wants to see that next step.”
Mika and fellow frontcourt starter, junior Nate Austin, combined for 18 rebounds, and BYU outrebounded Santa Clara, 50-32, while winning the scoring battle down low, 44-24.
After Mika and Austin, junior Anson Winder tied for the team-high with six rebounds. He also dished out three assists in his 25 minutes.
“Our confidence is pretty high,” Winder said. “Our whole mentality is just staying together as a team and staying positive, and I think we’re doing a good job of that.”
Freshman Frank Bartley IV had fallen out of the rotation during the early stages of WCC play, however, his energy has given him additional opportunities recently, albeit sometimes in a position he’s not completely used to.
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“Where we’d like to get to is where we’re playing Frank at his natural position, which is more of a wing player,” Rose said. “With some matchups, our early season experience with Frank playing at the 4 has helped us. … How hard he plays is the reason why he’s played a few more minutes the last couple games.”
If the depth continues to gain strength, the Cougars might still have a chance to make enough noise to draw the attention of the selection committee.
The next chance comes Saturday night when BYU (16-9, 8-4) looks to fend off San Francisco (15-9, 8-4) in a game that will leave one team in sole possession of second place in the WCC.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Cougars defeated the Dons, 83-76, in their first meeting.
