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PROVO -- The BYU Cougars had plenty of excuses as to why they played so poorly against the New Mexico Lobos in their 82-64 loss, the biggest being the loss of Brandon Davies and how that affected the lineup and the mentality of the players.
The Cougars didn't give any.
"They were ready for us, they were prepared and they put it on us early," Rose said. "That changed the way we approached the game... We never really got into a rhythm, and a lot of that was New Mexico's defense."
Cougar Tracks:
Shell-Shocked
"We need time, and we don't really have time." Those were the words of BYU head coach Dave Rose after his team's 82-64 home loss to New Mexico on Wednesday night."We just didn't play well, they shot the ball really well," senior guard Jimmer Fredette said. "They played very, very good tonight."
Although the team will not point to Davies' dismissal for the loss, there were multiple challenges that arose because of his absence.
"We never really got a chance to play like we wanted to play," Rose said. "I think everybody was trying to lift their game a little bit, and maybe do a little bit more coming into the game, but then I think it was multiplied by the fact that we got down early and never really found ourselves."
Not only were the players trying to lift their game, they were genuinely concerned about their teammate and were still riding an emotional roller coaster that started with a win over the San Diego State Aztecs.
"It was tough to deal with, just cause we care a lot about our guy, and he's like a brother to me," junior forward Charles Abouo said. "But we just had to move forward, we didn't have time to think about the negative things. Our thoughts and prayers were with Brandon and we just had to focus on the game."
The Cougars will now have a little bit more time to try and focus on Wyoming, and on finding a new starting lineup. After playing for most of the season with a solid starting five, the Cougars will now shuffle their lineup to find the most comfortable solution.
Against New Mexico James Anderson started the game, but came off the bench in the second half. He played a total of 11 minutes and recorded four points, three blocks and three fouls.
Logan Magnusson, who averaged just over 10 minutes a game played 21 minutes against the Lobos. But Magnusson contributed just two points and two rebounds.
As for Davies' future, it is still up in the air, but the team is hopeful.
"I think that all these situations are unique to the individual themselves," Rose said. "In this case, I think that Brandon did the right thing. His heart is in the right place. He's a great young man and we support him, and hopefully we can get this worked out."
When he was asked if he believes Davies will be back and playing for the BYU Basketball team, Rose said, "Yeah, I do."
