PROVO — Thursday was the kind of game Jake Toolson could only dream about.

It was the kind of game that shows why he left Utah Valley University, after winning WAC Player of the Year honors, to re-start his career — again — at his first school, BYU.

But after pouring in a career-high 28 points and tying a career-best with six 3-point makes in a 74-60 win at Pacific, giving the Cougars a critical road win that could easily turn into a clutch Quadrant 2 win by Selection Sunday, Toolson could tell he made the right decision.

Toolson showed why he can be so effective in a BYU uniform, and why the Cougars (15-6, 4-2 WCC) are putting together a high-quality NCAA Tournament resume — regardless of if it comes via an automatic or at-large berth from the West Coast Conference.

"I am just happy for all of our guys tonight, and especially for Jake,” BYU head coach Mark Pope quipped of Toolson on his postgame radio show. “He has fought for a long time and on such a long road. He understood what a big game this was and he sure did perform."

Toolson’s path to 28 points wasn’t just impressive for the number, but how he got to it. He took just 15 shots, making 10 of them — including 6-of-8 from 3-point range. If he’s open, it’s almost automatic; Toolson is going to make it look easy.

When Yoeli Childs is on the floor, Toolson will be open as often as not.

The senior power forward had 26 points, nine rebounds, an assist and a block in 31 minutes of his first game since Jan. 4, before he suffered an open dislocation on the index finger of his primary shooting hand in practice.

What followed was a 2-2 stretch where the Cougars won games they should have — Portland, San Diego — and lost the two road games where they weren’t favored — Saint Mary’s, Gonzaga.

On Thursday night, BYU closed as a 6.5-point favorite without Childs, and the Cougars won in even more impressive fashion.

The inside-out duo of Toolson and Childs was working in tandem, driving inside, kicking it out, moving the ball around even more than the Cougars’ final number of eight assists on 27 field goals alludes.

But the most important shot that set Toolson off wasn’t one he made; it was a miss, followed very quickly by two of Childs’ points.

Because the Gilbert, Arizona, native and nephew of former BYU and NBA star Danny Ainge didn’t make all of his shots. But on this one occasion in the second half, his missed layup was quickly followed up by Childs for a putback.

On the next possession, Toolson drove in and scored an easy bunny.

On the following possession, Pacific head coach Damon Stoudamire replaced his defensive mark — and the 3-point floodgates opened.

Rewind to that tip-in, then, and who knows what might’ve been if Childs doesn’t follow the shot.

“Nine fingers, eight fingers, zero fingers; it’s so good to have him back,” Toolson said of Childs. “He impacts the game in so many ways. I’m so happy for him to be back. It’s been up and down, but he’s been so positive to this team, on the court or off the court.”

With Childs, the Cougars aren’t a perfect team; they know that. The smaller Tigers out-rebounded BYU 32-31, for example, including a game-high 10 boards to leading scorer Jahlil Tripp.

But BYU took 29-of=38 off their defensive glass, and limited Pacific to single shots. Even as the home team shot 13 more shots, then, the Cougars limited them to just 11 second-chance points on nine offensive rebounds.

Maybe not perfect, but more complete. Defensively, on the glass, and sometimes on the scoresheet.

“That was our focus tonight,” Toolson said of the team’s defense. “Really, it is every night; if we defend and rebound, we give ourselves a chance every night.”

The pressure of winning and cobbling together a resume doesn’t end Thursday, though. The Cougars only have one full day to recover before making the short drive across the Bay Area to the Hilltop, where San Francisco awaits in another critical road game.

The Dons (14-7, 3-3 WCC) were tied with BYU and Saint Mary’s (as well as Pacific and Santa Clara, for good measure) for second in the conference before Thursday’s slate of results. So they’ll be eager to try to right the ship in a place where BYU hasn’t been teeming with success since joining the league in 2011.

As one big game ends, another begins. Such is the life of an NCAA bubble team.

“Right now, these guys have earned the pressure where every single game is massive,” Pope said. “They’ve earned the right to be there. This game Saturday at 2 o'clock (PST) is a massive game, and our guys are going to come ready to fight.”

How to watch, stream and listen

BYU (15-6, 4-2 WCC) at San Francisco (14-7, 3-3 WCC)

When: Saturday, Jan. 25, 3 p.m. MT

TV: Stadium/KJZZ (Noah Coslov, Dani Klupenger)

Streaming: WatchStadium

Radio: BYU Radio 89.1 FM, KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM (Greg Wrubell, Mark Durrant)

Series: BYU leads 19-8

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