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PROVO — It's not how you start but how you finish.
At least, it wasn't for BYU basketball Saturday night.
Te'Jon Lucas poured in 16 points and seven assists as BYU men's basketball found its spark late in the first half and pulled away for a 78-65 win over Portland in front of an announced crowd of 14,837 fans at the Marriott Center.
Caleb Lohner added 13 points and five rebounds for BYU, which held the nation's top free-throw shooting team (81.62%) to just 8 of 17 from the line. Seneca Knight poured in 14 points, including four 3-pointers, for the Cougars, who got a career-high three blocks to go with 6 points and three rebounds from freshman Atiki Ally Atiki.
"That's the magic of playing in this building. It's hard," BYU coach Mark Pope said of the Cougars' student section, which filled to the rafters after dipping in attendance during Thursday night's 79-71 win over San Diego. "There are 6,000 students, and they are on it, and they care. They take pride in it.
"Where is there a basketball environment with a student section like that? I don't think there is one. … Our student section bailed us out."
Lucas with the 👌#MACU3pic.twitter.com/43IM4AXddw
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) January 23, 2022
On a night when Alex Barcello "struggled" to just 9 points with five rebounds and four assists, the Cougars had plenty of other faces step up. Whether it was Lucas shooting 6 of 11 from the field and dishing seven dimes, Knight matching his season high in back-to-back games, or Spencer Johnson with a team-high plus-21 with 2 points and four rebounds, there were options.
The more options, the better.
"I'm just trying to fill voids," said Knight, a defensive stopper who has scored in double figures in three of the past five games. "Whether it's scoring, defending, rebounding, whatever I can do to help this team, I'm willing to do it."
It couldn't come at a better time, either.
"What's magic about Seneca right now is that he had a great shot-making night tonight, and a great playmaking night two nights ago — and I felt like I needed to have him in the meat of the game. It's because his defensive numbers are off the charts for us," Pope said. "Starting against a team that was red-hot to start this game, these guys coming off the bench and taking a stand is so important for our team. They change us defensively."
Fousseyni Traore celebrated his first birthday on BYU's campus with 13 points, 10 rebounds and a career-best four assists for the Cougar (17-4, 4-1 WCC).
After one bucket — his first, that helped the Cougars erase an 8-point first-half deficit — the BYU student section serenaded the freshman from Bamako, Mali, with "Happy Birthday." After another, the same crowd rained down "Fooooooooouss" from the Marriott Center rafters, though one could be mistaken for mishearing the chant.
"What do I got to say about this Fouss? 6 for 6? On his birthday? That's crazy," Knight said of the former Wasatch Academy big man. "I could go across the line, though — they all played really well."
There were plenty of reasons to cheer for the big man who propelled BYU to a 41-28 rebounding margin, including a 33-4 edge on the Cougars' defensive end in their third-straight win.
The Cougars were honoring arguably the most successful team in program history with a halftime ceremony for the 1980-81 squad led to the Elite Eight by Danny Ainge. But it was visiting Portland that started hot.
.@sen_13_ makes back to back jumpers to give @BYUMBB the lead at the half 🔥
— BYUtv Sports (@byutvsports) January 23, 2022
39-34 for the Cougs 💪#BYUhoops | #GoCougspic.twitter.com/UzDfQnGxx5
The Pilots hit 6 of 9 from the field early, including three 3-pointers, to take a lead as high as 15-7 in the game's opening moments. Portland, which lost two of its first three games in conference play, kept its lead through the midway point of the first half until Lucas capped a 7-0 run to tie the game at 20-20 with 8:03 left in the half.
Lucas had 15 points and two assists at halftime, and Knight ended the half with back-to-back triples, and the Cougars took a 39-34 lead at the break that swelled as high as 46-36 out of the break and never looked back.
Tyler Robertson had 15 points and four assists to lead Portland (10-9, 1-3 WCC), and Chris Austin added 11 points and four rebounds for the Pilots.
BYU hits the road to play at Santa Clara next Thursday.