BYU notes: Cougars' loss busts win-probability odds; Zags clinch 7th-straight title

PROVO — BYU’s TJ Haws had just hit a back-breaking, buzzer-beating, 40-foot 3-pointer to give the Cougars a 38-34 lead over San Francisco, and BYU seemed to be making all the right moves in coasting to a win that would’ve given it a 2.5-game lead on San Francisco for the No. 2 seed in the West Coast Conference Tournament with two games remaining.

The Cougars were rolling.

BYU had a 96.9 percent win probability, according to ESPN metrics, when Haws nailed a 3-pointer with 8:14 remaining to take a 63-49 lead.

To which USF coach Kyle Smith unofficially said, “So, you’re saying there’s a chance.”

There is a chance, Coach — especially with a little defense and the 3-point shot.

The Dons held BYU scoreless from the field from the 8:02 mark of the second half until Yoeli Childs's jumper with 2:12 remaining to turn a 14-point deficit into a lead that went on to be the Dons' 77-71 road win Thursday night in the Marriott Center that cut the Cougars' lead on second place in the conference to just 0.5 games with two remaining.

"Give a lot of credit to San Francisco," BYU coach Dave Rose said. "They were playing really hard and doing a lot of stuff to disrupt us, trapping ball screens and doing things like that. But, when we go back and look at the film, we’ll see a lot of those mistakes were just created by our own lack of execution."

BYU committed 14 turnovers — with just 12 assists, including three each from Childs, Nick Emery and McKay Cannon — as the Dons slowly whittled away the Cougars’ double-digit lead with a defensive clinic.

A team that shot as well as 60 percent from the field through the first 30 minutes couldn’t make a shot for just short of six minutes.

"I think we were just trying to rush it a bit," said BYU’s Zac Seljaas, who finished with eight points and three rebounds. "We were trying to get back, and everyone was doing their best to get momentum going. It didn’t work out, and it’s something we have to learn from and move on."

Push the paint

San Francisco made its run — and even kept itself in the game during the largest deficits — because of the 3-point shot.

The Dons made 12 3-pointers — while attempting 29 — against the Cougars, including a perfect 5-of-5 shooting from Frankie Ferrari. So how did the Cougars respond?

By going inside.

Yoeli Childs had 28 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, and freshman Gavin Baxter added eight points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots as the Cougars outpaced the Dons 28-24 in the paint — including a 14-4 margin in the first half.

Baxter’s five blocks against USF were the second-most by a BYU freshman in program history, save for all-time great Shawn Bradley. On that note, it’s the most in a game since Allan Pollard posted six blocks against UCLA in 1984.

Zags clinch

BYU’s loss, combined with No. 2 Gonzaga's 92-64 win over Pepperdine, clinched the Zags’ seventh-straight West Coast Conference regular-season title.

It was only a matter of time for Gonzaga, who moved to 13-0 in league play and haven't lost since a 76-73 setback to No. 5 Tennessee back on Dec. 9. The Zags have not won a game by fewer than 13 points since conference play began.

BYU will travel to Spokane, Washington, for an 8 p.m. MT tip Saturday in The Kennel.

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