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SALT LAKE CITY — Behind a record performance by Tyler Haws and strong defense, Brigham Young University defeated Virginia Tech 97-71 Saturday afternoon.
Haws set a new career high for points, scoring 42 on 14-25 shooting, including 6-8 on 3-point attempts and 8-9 from the free-throw line. Haws' 42-point performance came 23 years and 35 days after his father, Marty Haws, scored a career-high 40 points for BYU against Siena.
“I was able to get into a rhythm early,” Haws said after the game. “They were doubling Brandon (Davies) and so I got a few open shots, which is pretty unusual.”
Davies had his way with the Virginia Tech forwards, finishing with 17 points in 25 minutes.
"I thought that we did a good job of getting shots,” BYU head coach Dave Rose said. “We got the ball into Brandon (Davies), that brought the double team, and we knew that if we could get the ball out and make one more pass, we could get some good looks."
Haws came into the game completely dialed in on the EnergySolutions Arena court, finishing the first half 9-13 from the floor and 5-6 from the free-throw line.
Trip after trip, Haws was able to reach his spots from the floor, and shoot open jumpers or get to the rim for layups while drawing contact.
When Virginia Tech used man defense, the Cougars would drop the ball into Davies, and then rotate the ball to Haws for a shot on the perimeter. When the Hokies used zone defense, Haws would operate from the top of the key, knocking down 15-foot jumpers or drawing contact near the basket.
Haws' 29 first-half points were two points less than the total points scored by Virginia Tech in the first half, and Haws was able to do that on 21 less field-goal attempts. BYU also set a season high for points scored in one half, with 56 points.
Haws scored 13 points in the second half, shooting 41 percent on 12 attempts. He was able to be featured more as a distraction for the Virginia Tech defense, with his teammates attempting 28 field goals.
His record-breaking points came on free-throw attempts, which were fitting for the free-throw ace. Haws now is shooting 94 percent from the free-throw line, with only four misses in 71 attempts.
“He was special,” said Virginia Tech head coach James Johnson. “He’s a really good player. He’s probably one of the best guards we’ll play against all year long. He had a really good day and he came out right from the start.”
Haws also drew praise from another BYU athlete, senior quarterback James Lark.
"Congrats @tyhaws3 on the great performance! Way to make us Cougs proud," Lark tweeted.
Haws' performance also overshadowed an excellent performance from Brandon Davies, who had 13 points in the first half. Davies did injure his ankle, sitting out most of the second half. He could have returned to the game if necessary, BYU said, but with a 20-point lead throughout the second period, his impact was not needed.
There are areas of concern going forward, however. Against Virginia Tech, the rest of the team was 1-11 on 3-point attempts, and Josh Sharp was the only Cougar with double-digit points beside Haws and Davies.
The Cougars also had 17 turnovers, with many passes ending up in the arms of the fans in the seats. BYU is averaging nearly 13 turnovers a game, and the coaching staff hopes their guys will take better care of the ball in future games.
Heading into conference play, rotations are beginning to emerge. Anson Winder was the backup point guard again, with Nate Austin coming in to replace Josh Sharp. Brock Zylstra, Raul Delgado and Craig Cusick will rotate in the two-guard position, depending on matchups and situations. Agustin Ambrosino provides Davies with the opportunity to rest for a few minutes, and Cory Calvert gives Coach Rose an option at guard if necessary.
BYU begins West Coast Conference play Thursday against Loyola Marymount. The Lions are 2-3 on the season and are led by junior guard Anthony Ireland. Ireland is averaging 20 points a game while shooting 40 percent on 3-point attempts.
With the win, BYU improves its record to 10-4.
Daniel Lewis is an intern with KSL.com, and covers the BYU men's basketball team. He is currently attending Brigham Young University while earning a degree in communications.
