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PROVO, Utah (Nov. 21, 2008)-- A consistent offensive effort powered BYU over Rice, 83-52 in the Cougars' second game in the Basketball Travelers Invitational in the Marriott Center on Friday.
"What I was most impressed with tonight was that we played with focus defensively," said BYU head coach Dave Rose. "We played with intensity and we played like that in longer stretches. I think it's a sign of a team that's progressing when we can reach the goals we've aimed to accomplish."
The Cougars started strong from the beginning, jumping out to a 10-3 lead just 3:02 into the game behind three-point shots from Lee Cummard and Jonathan Tavernari. The team made 9-15 (60 percent) three-pointers in the first half and was 12-22 (54 percent) for the game.
BYU used a 16-0 run to continue to increase their lead throughout the half, and went into the break leading by 20, 43-23. Tavernari had 14 points on 5-11 shooting in the first half.
The Cougars broke open another run, outscoring the Owls 15-0 after the teams traded buckets in the first minutes of the second half. Guard Jimmer Fredette sparked the run with a fast-break layup and a three-pointer, and had nine points during the run.
Tavernari led all scorers with 18 points, and Owl Lawrence Ghoram was the leading rebounder with ten. Tavernari, Chris Miles, Jackson Emery and Noah Hartsock all had five boards for the Cougars.
Overall, the Cougars out-rebounded Rice 31-28. BYU's defense forced 16 turnovers, and was able to convert those into 23 points. The team shot 30-54 (55 percent) from the field compared to Rice, which went 20-52 (38 percent).
"We did a much better job tonight with knowing which shot was coming," said Rose. "We did a better job rebounding the ball, attacking, and getting on their heels."
The win over Rice was the 50th in a row for the Cougars at the Marriott Center, which is currently the longest active home winning-streak in the nation. Coach Rose has not lost at home since his first game in Provo.
The Cougars take the hardwood again in the final game of the Invitational Saturday, Nov. 22 when they face off against Cal Poly at 8:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on BYUTV and a tape-delay broadcast on KSL beginning at 10 p.m. A live radio broadcast can be accessed online at KSL.com. The Cougars then hit the road to face Idaho State on Sat. Nov. 29 in Pocatello. The game will be broadcast live on KSL radio and BYUTV.
