BYU's Jake Toolson was relentless Wednesday night. He just needs more help

SALT LAKE CITY — Yoeli Childs did Yoeli Childs-type things in the first game of his senior season, scoring 13 points in his first six minutes of play — including three 3-pointers — as BYU basketball tried to win in the Huntsman Center for the first time since 2010.

Childs poured in a game-high 29 points on an efficient 12-of-16 shooting, going 3-for-3 from 3-point range, and Jake Toolson added 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists for BYU. But it wasn’t enough as the Cougars (6-4) lost to the Utes for the first time since their last matchup on the east bench, 102-95 in overtime.

There’s no finger-pointing allowed in basketball, one of the consummate team sports. It’s a five-on-five slugfest, fighting for the ball, every point, rebound, and assist mattering a little more — especially in a rivalry game — and teammates matter as much as individual effort.

Toolson’s effort needs to be applauded. The reigning Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year has been a revelation since returning to BYU as a graduate transfer to average a team-high 16.2 points and 5.2 rebounds in 10 games of his senior season.

More importantly, Toolson is a gamer. Like an expensive slab of cheese, the nephew of former BYU great and Boston Celtics executive Danny Ainge seems to get better with age. No moment is too big for Toolson. But the son of Troy and Sheila needs help.

“I just wanted to be aggressive, and try to make plays for the team,” Toolson said, “just put our team in a position to win.”

On a cold Wednesday night in the foothills of Salt Lake City, he didn’t get it.

With Childs out hurt, one man could only do so much. After 29 from Childs, 27 from Toolson and a valiant 10 more from Dalton Nixon before fouling out, the rest of the Cougars scored just 29 points (including Alex Barcello’s late free throws to reach 11 points with the game all-but secured in overtime).

Even his coach admitted he needs help — from the first-year man on the bench.

“I think our guys know that, and I’ve got to do a better job of managing the weird lineups down the stretch. That’s on me; I need to help Jake more than anybody else does,” BYU coach Mark Pope said. “We’ve got to figure that out. We have been stuck in some places with weird lineups on the floor in crucial moments, because of some circumstances of the game. I’ve got to instill a little more confidence in those guys, and keep them together and functioning.”

In his first game since finishing out a nine-game suspension by the NCAA, Childs was out to make up for lost time. The senior from Bingham High shot an efficient 12-of-16 from the field that included 3 of 3 from 3-point range.

Childs had 13 points in the first six minutes of the game, including a perfect 3 for 3 from 3-point range, to help the Cougars jump all over their hosts from the beginning. Even without the 6-foot-8 power forward in the game, BYU posted a 25-12 advantage midway through the first half.

Ditto for Toolson, who nearly flirted with a triple-double for the second time this season.

BYU outrebounded the Utes 18-9 in the first half, shot 55 percent from the field, and landed 8 of 12 from deep while holding Utah (6-2) scoreless from beyond the 3-point line until Rylan Jones’ splashed one with two minutes remaining in the half.

"We caught a break — TJ Haws is a heck of a player, and he fouls out," Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak said. "I hope Yoeli is not a serious injury. But at the end of the day, if you stay in a match, maybe you catch a break or two."

When Childs left the game clutching his lower leg, the Utes began to rally.

“In the second half, they kept going on some runs,” Toolson said. “They kept getting stops; we weren’t getting back on defense. And down the stretch, we just couldn’t make enough plays.”

The Cougars simply couldn’t withstand the runs all night. From Timmy Allen, who had a team-high 27 points, to Mikael Jantunen, who scored 18, to Jones, who finished with 25 points and six assists, the Utes kept coming.

Eventually, the dam broke.

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