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It's a simple thing that BYU head hoops coach Dave Rose is fond of saying: winning games is hard.
In conference play, the nature of the task grows harder still, with road wins representing the most rewarding of victories.
Thursday night in San Francisco, BYU faced some tactical challenges and statistical anomalies that forced the Cougars to excel in recent areas of struggle, and they responded, holding on for an 83-76 win at War Memorial Gymnasium--BYU's first true away win since a Nov. 11 victory at Stanford.
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Leading the WCC in rebounds and assists per game, BYU was out-boarded by double-digits for the first time this season, and tied a Rose-era low with only five assists. On the two previous occasions in which BYU was limited to only five helpers, the Cougars lost. When being outrebounded, Rose's teams have a losing record.
To turn the statistical tide, BYU relied upon good old-fashioned toughness and hustle, along with timely three-point and free-throw shooting, to come away with a win that extends the Cougars' victory streak to four games, and leaves BYU alone in second place in the West Coast Conference standings, at 4-2--one game behind 5-1 Gonzaga.
"We had some uncharacteristic numbers," guard Skyler Halford (18 points) told us after the game during postgame radio coverage. "But you know, honestly, it is a grinder on the road. You've got to take what comes your way, and somehow find a way to get a win."
"Any win in this conference is going to be big, especially on the road."
BYU was on the short end of a 37-34 halftime scoreline, in large part due to a 27-13 rebounding deficit. Additionally, BYU attempted only six free throws, making just two.
In the second half, the Cougars out-rebounded USF 16-13, and took a whopping 31 free throw attempts, converting 26. The halftime emphasis on inside toughness and overall aggressiveness paid dividends.
"I thought in the first half that we were really dialed in and we executed our game plan," Rose said after the game, "but we were kind of slow to the ball, and we weren't ourselves. They (USF) got a lot of second-chance opportunities (+7 in second-chance points at the break, with a 10-4 edge in offensive rebounds)."
"We just needed more energy and we needed more effort, and that second half was a good way for us to play. We guarded well, executed well in the half-court, shot free throws well, and we rebounded the ball really well. That's the formula for a big win."
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BYU placed five players in double-figure scoring at USF, led by Kyle Collinsworth's 19 points. Collinsworth's all-around performance continues to impress, as he ranks in the top five in WCC scoring, field-goal percentage, rebounding, assists per game and steals per game.
In addition to Halford's 18 points, Matt Carlino chipped in with 17, Tyler Haws accounted for 15 and Eric Mika scored 11, rounding out BYU's double-digit scoring tally.
Carlino's favorite WCC opponent is undoubtedly the Dons; he entered last night's game averaging 18.5 points per game on 56% shooting and a 45% performance from the arc against USF. On Thursday night, he scored his 17 points on 56% shooting and a 50% clip from distance.
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Carlino gave BYU a shot in the arm from the three-point line in the first half, making two of three triples as part of a 10-point performance before intermission. He has now made six of 11 threes over the last two games, after making only his previous 36 attempts from the arc.
Carlino's improved long-range shooting mirrors that of the team, and helps to explain how BYU has continued to pile up the points while taking fewer shots from the field in fewer possessions per game.
Prior to the Cougars current four-game win streak, BYU was scoring 87.3 points per game on averages of 67.6 field-goal attempts (46% FG) and 80 possessions per game.
Over the last four games, BYU is still scoring the ball at a high rate (86.3 ppg), but on 56.5 field-goal attempts (49%) and 69 possessions per game.
BYU is retaining its punching power primarily through improvements at the free-throw line and the three-point line.
Before the streak, BYU was averaging 29.9 FTA/game, but shooting only 67% from the stripe. Over the last four games, BYU has upped its attempts-per-game number to 32.5, and has augmented that number with 75% shooting over the stretch.
Since going 4-for-21 (19%) on three-point attempts in losses at Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine to open WCC play, BYU has gone 23-for-55 from distance (42%) during 4-gm win streak.
"I think that's the biggest improvement in our team over the last four games," Rose said last night. "We've done a much better job of getting to the three-point line and shutting guys down."
"I mean, (the WCC is) the best three-point shooting league in the country, and you really have to respect that. I think our coaches have done a great job of adjusting to it, and hopefully we just keep betting better at it."
The improved performance from the stripe and the arc has made BYU a more efficient offensive team, despite a slower offensive pace. BYU's (Pomeroy) offensive efficiency of 112.1 ranks 45th nationally, but in WCC play, BYU has bumped that number up, leading the league at 117.2.
BYU has made equally significant defensive strides; Cougars have held four consecutive opponents under 80 points, for the first time this season.
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BYU continues its four-game conference road stretch Saturday at Santa Clara, with the Cougars right back in the thick of the conference title chase.
"The way things have played out, since we lost the first two on the road, which was very disappointing...this win win is just huge," said Rose, "because it puts us back where this is really fun--where every game is really important again."
"I think now it's back to where--if we can just stay on track, and take them one at a time, that we can make these next six or seven weeks where it's really intense for every game."
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