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PROVO — Eli Scott rolled up and dunked at the first-half buzzer, letting out a lion-sized roar from the home crowd at Loyola Marymount.
Everything was going LMU's way through a horrendous first 20 minutes for BYU.
The Cougars were in crisis. For two-straight weeks and a four-game losing skid, BYU fought through adversity, and adversity was winning. For the first time in what had to feel like an eternity (or since Jan. 22 against Portland, at least), the Cougars fought through it.
Fousseyni Traore poured in 19 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high four blocked shots, and Seneca Knight made 1-of-2 free throws after being fouled with one second left in overtime to help BYU [snap its four-game losing skid]('Doubting and wondering': BYU losing skid reaches 4 straight after rout by No. 2 Gonzaga) with an 83-82 overtime win at Gersten Pavilion.
Te'Jon Lucas totaled 17 points and a season-high nine assists for BYU (18-8, 6-5 WCC), and Gideon George totaled a season-high 18 points and five rebounds with four 3-pointers. Alex Barcello added 12 points, four rebounds and four assists for the Cougars.
"It was definitely a big win," Lucas told BYU Radio after the game. "We've been battling a little adversity these last two weeks. You've got to give LMU credit; they're a very well-coached team, they're structured, and they follow the game plan well. They battled us for 40-plus minutes."
Keli Leaupepe had a game-high 26 points and seven rebounds to lead LMU (9-13, 2-8 WCC), which dropped its sixth-straight game. But it wasn't looking like that early for the Lions, who shot 70% from the field in the first half to go up 45-33 on Scott's rim-rattler at the horn.
Pics from Los Angeles 📸📸📸 pic.twitter.com/eDB61quCiW
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) February 11, 2022
Five LMU players scored in double figures, including Scott's 16 points, six rebounds and four assists and 14 more from Cam Shelton. Like BYU, the Lions were hungry — maybe even desperate — for a win.
By land, by sea, or by any other way possible — a win is a win is a win. Never before has a 1-point overtime win against the second-worst team in the West Coast Conference felt so good for BYU. The Cougars needed that one.
Before the game, ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi gave BYU basketball something of an ultimatum: "If BYU loses its fifth straight tonight at Loyola Marymount, the Cougars drop out of the field and the WCC's dream of four NCAA bids takes a serious hit."
BYU survived and kept its tournament hopes — and the four-bid wishes of the league — alive, even if by a thread.
After the events of the past 19 days, how does this one feel?
"Yeah," replied BYU coach Mark Pope, letting out a long breath.
"There are so many storylines tonight," he later added. "There's so much. This game finds a way to tell a lot of stories, and there are a hundred of them tonight. It's so unpredictable, and it rewards you if you keep fighting in there."
Barcello scored 5 points early in the first half, then was held scoreless as the Lions methodically took control of the game. The visiting Cougars led for just 4:05 before the break en route to their fourth consecutive halftime deficit.
Mixing his eighth starting lineup of the year with the return of point guard Lucas from a head/neck injury, Pope continued his search for answers for a BYU team that was ranked as high as No. 12 in the country just two months ago and bordering on a return to the Associated Press Top 25 less than three weeks from Thursday night.
The Lions pushed the lead as high as 17 early in the first half. But the Cougars didn't back down.
BYU 63 - LMU 61 | 7:23 2H@GideonOmohkudu with 15 points (3-5 3FGs) pic.twitter.com/aDLrRgIWVM
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) February 11, 2022
Lucas' jumper tied the game with 13 minutes to play, capping a 14-0 run that ran as high as 19-2 midway through the second half. The Cougars opened the second half making six of their first nine 3-point attempts, including a triple by George to give BYU a 61-58 lead with 8:52 remaining.
The green light was all the Cougars needed, getting 3-pointers from George, Lucas, Trevin Knell, Barcello, Spencer Johnson and Knight en route to 12 triples from beyond the arc.
Leaupepe pulled the Lions within one, 75-74, with 45 seconds remaining, but the LMU big man missed the and-one free throw, and Scott tied the game with two seconds left to force overtime before Barcello's 3-pointer rimmed out at the buzzer.
Barcello scored 4 points after regulation to help BYU survive, and Traore had the go-ahead layup with 56 seconds left to set up Knight's heroics.
"What an incredible night to witness the grit and character and love that these guys have for each other," Pope said. "I hate the last two weeks, but I love it. It's what sports is; it's just awesome."
It was hardly enjoyable — the Cougars were outscored 46-32 in the paint and held to just nine offensive rebounds — and Lucas couldn't even watch Knight's final free-throw attempts.
But at this point, a win is a win. And after the past two weeks, as the calendar flips to the month before March, that's all that matters.
"Winning is hard," Lucas said. "Hopefully we can string some wins together; we made a lot of mistakes, but we were able to capitalize and get the win.
"No game is going to be easy. We've got 48 hours to try to learn as much as we can. But coach will have us ready to go tomorrow."
