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PROVO — The arena was buzzing during BYU basketball’s 71-66 win late Thursday night over Saint Mary’s.
It wasn’t just because it was the Cougars’ first regular-season win over the Gaels since 2016, or because Yoeli Childs had 23 points and 11 rebounds for his 32nd career double-double.
There was another post player energizing the crowd of 11,427 inside the Marriott Center.
That post player was BYU’s 6-foot-9 freshman forward Gavin Baxter.
Baxter had one of his most productive games in a BYU uniform, lighting up the blue throwback uniforms for 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting with five rebounds, two blocks and an athletic steal in the Cougars’ win, one that kept them within striking distance of the top teams in the West Coast Conference at 5-2 in league play.
It also re-energized a fanbase that may have grown disinterested as it watched its team from afar during a lengthy road stretch that included 29 days away from Provo.
But with the first of four home games over the next five games, Baxter gave the crowd a reason to come back — and ditto them to him.
“Most of the time, I couldn’t hear anything,” said Baxter, who went to high school just 6 miles away. “Coach was calling plays, and I was asking for it again. It was awesome.
“I think we gained some momentum here, and we’ll try to keep that going.”
The long-armed forward from nearby Timpview High proved to be the turning point for BYU, too. When Saint Mary’s post Malik Fitts scored 8 of his team’s first 10 points en route to an early edge, it looked to be a long night down low for the Cougars.
But Baxter wasn’t going to have any of that, and he entered to use his length, his reach and his quick swipes to pester the Gaels — both inside and out.
“I think it was just playing team defense, being in the gaps and helping each other out,” Baxter told KSL Newsradio after the game. “Saint Mary’s is a good team.”
After scoring in double figures for the second time in three games, Baxter has scored 37 percent of his made field goals via dunks — many of them the high-flying, rim-shattering variety, as well.
The game is slowing down for Baxter, who described the college game as “going a million miles an hour” when he first opened his freshman campaign after finishing a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Washington, D.C.
“I’m able to see things more. I can get a better feel for the game,” Baxter said. “That’s been big for me, and it’s a confidence booster.”
Baxter’s just getting started, if you believe the youngster’s teammates, too.
“I feel like Gav is just getting better and better right now,” Haws said. “He has a lot of confidence, and he’s playing great. I’m really proud of him.”
Were it not for Baxter, Fitts — the Gaels’ 6-foot-8 sophomore who spent a year at South Florida — could’ve had 50 points, BYU coach Dave Rose admitted.
“The matchup is what we needed,” Rose said. “His length caused Fitz some problems. We had Luke on him, then Yo, but (Gavin) just went right at those guys. His length got to them a couple of times.”
But defense has never been the long-armed Thunderbird alum’s weakness. That, or dunking, if you go back to his high school days.
G😤VIN B🤯XTER.#BYUhoops#GoCougspic.twitter.com/PqKsqNkbZf
— BYU Basketball (@BYUbasketball) January 25, 2019
Now he’s gaining an offensive allotment to back it up, and in good time for the son of former BYU basketball player Kurt Baxter and All-American sprinter Angela Baxter.
“I’ve always wanted to play here,” Baxter said. “It’s kind of a dream come true.”
Thursday’s game was the only game of the week for BYU hoops. The players will get a rare day off Friday, then hit the weight room Saturday before settling in on prep work for No. 4 Gonzaga, which comes to Provo next Thursday at 9 p.m. MST (ESPN2, KSL Newsradio).
It’s a tall task, facing a top 5 team nationally and one that just handed Santa Clara a 98-39 loss.
But so, too, was taking down a Saint Mary’s team that had previously beaten BYU, 88-66 in Moraga, California. And with the emergence of a freshman’s 7-foot-2 wingspan, the task could be a little bit shorter.
“We’re playing one of the best teams in the country,” Baxter said of the Zags. “We’ve got Gonzaga at home, and that will be a great opportunity for us to make a point in the league.”
