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PROVO — Thursday’s win at San Diego was special for TJ Haws.
First of all, Haws’ BYU team beat the Toreros 88-82 in overtime, keeping the Cougars in sole possession of second place in the West Coast Conference with four games to play.
That’s the most important thing for Haws, of course.
“Ultimately it feels good because we got the win,” Haws told the Associated Press after scoring a career-high 35 points. “It hurts when you don’t win, for sure, no matter what you do.”
But Thursday night’s win — the fourth-straight victory for the Cougars (17-10, 9-3 WCC) as is — was special for another reason in the Haws family.
During the win, Haws passed his father, Marty Haws, for No. 23 on the Cougars’ all-time scoring list. The junior guard who starred at Lone Peak now has 1,358 career points, edging ahead of dad, who compiled 1,337 points while playing for the Cougars from 1986-90.
For those who don’t know, Marty Haws was a fan-favorite in Provo. Before either TJ or older brother Tyler Haws were even born, Marty Haws was a 6-foot-2 shooting guard who averaged 10.9 points and 4.1 assists in 123 games for the Cougars while also moonlighting with the track and field team.
But to TJ Haws, he’s just "dad," so it was special to put his name next to Marty Haws in the BYU basketball record book.
“I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am without him,” TJ Haws told KSL Newsradio and BYU Radio after the game. “His mentorship and how he’s helped me have helped become who I am, as a person and on the court. He’s an amazing man, he understands the game so well, and he really has helped me to be the basketball player I am today.”
His father gave an appropriate response after the game via Twitter.
“Woah (sic) Teej! Incredible work tonight,” Marty Haws tweeted. “Any dad would want his son to pass an accomplishment … I would say you left no doubt. Nice win, guys! Go Cougs!”
Woah Teej! Incredible work tonight! Any dad would want his son to pass an accomplishment...I would say you left no doubt! Ha Nice win guys!
— marty haws (@martyhaws) February 15, 2019
Go Cougs!
TJ became the No. 2 scoring Haws in BYU basketball history, now trailing older brother Tyler, who finished his career as the Cougars’ all-time leading scorer with 2,720 points.
That’s quite the phrase for those who remember Marty Haws, as former teammate Mark Durrant pointed out on Thursday night’s postgame radio program.
If only coach Dave Rose had been around to enjoy all three careers, he joked (at least, it seems that he’s joking).
“The only thing I regret is not being able to coach Marty,” Rose said with a tinge of humor after the game in San Diego. “But he was fun to watch; I remember that as a high school coach, watching him make plays.
“But his boys are so fun to watch, too.”
Marty Haws played a key role when the Cougars played in the Western Athletic Conference. Tyler Haws, who most recently signed to play with Levitec Huesca in Spain, played a key role as BYU transition from the Mountain West to the West Coast Conference.
And now TJ Haws is playing a key role for the Cougars, averaging 17.7 points and 5.1 assists per game for a team that is 9-3 in WCC with a 1.5-game lead on San Francisco for second place.
With four games remaining — including a road trip at No. 4 Gonzaga and home draws against San Francisco and San Diego — TJ Haws’ role could still expand.
But first, the Cougars have to finish off a two-game trip Saturday at Loyola Marymount. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. MST on TheW.tv and KSL Newsradio.
“Let’s go get one more,” Haws said. “That would be really fun.”
