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The BYU Cougars knew they were in for a tough game Saturday as they faced undefeated Cal State Northridge. After a long and hard battle, the Cougars were able to be victorious beating CSUN 87-75.
The Cougars struggled during periods throughout and did not start their victory run until there was only 3:44 left in the game.
BYU head coach Dave Rose said a large part of the Cougars' victory was their ability to respond to CSUN's runs, especially at the end.
"We responded to their runs," Rose said. "We got ourselves in a situation where we were down with four minutes left, and we got big plays. You need to make winning plays like those. I thought that was a good part of tonight's game."
Sophomore Tyler Haws deserves much of the credit for the outcome. In the final minutes, Haws scored eight of BYU's 12 points to seal the victory.
During the first half, Haws had 17 points and was the only Cougar to make a 3-pointer.
Haws finished the night with a career-high 32 points.
Rose believes that Haws is one of the star players on the team and has the makings of being a really great player.
"Tyler is a winner," Rose said. "He is extremely confident in his ability to make plays. I am really happy our team is beginning to understand and trust his ability to make big plays for us."
Haws also finished the night 12 for 12 in his speciality, free throws. Rose acknowledged that Haws' ability to make those shots creates a chance for him to shine late in a close game.
"Tyler (Haws) conditioning pays off late in the game," Rose said. "He's a smart player and figures out how they are going to guard him and he can make a counterplay to it. What makes him so good is he has absolutely no fear of getting fouled because when he steps to the free-throw line, he is a confident guy. Those two things can make a great late-game player."
When asked about his career-high night, Haws was humble and focused more on the success of the team.
"I am more happy that we got the win," Haws said. "It feels great to play in an environment like that and win. I feel like our team is on a roll now and I like where we are at."
Ashley Anderson is a senior at BYU majoring in public relations with the hope of one day having a career in sports public relations.
