Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
PROVO, Utah — Trevin Knell and Noah Waterman scored 17 points apiece to lead No. 14 BYU to a 94-68 victory over Wyoming on Saturday.
Waterman also had eight rebounds for the Cougars and Atiki Ally Atiki chipped in a career-high 14 points and eight rebounds. Jaxson Robinson tallied 10 points in his return to action after sitting out a game with an ankle injury.
The Cougars (12-1) scored 16 points off turnovers and knocked down 14 3-pointers in their fourth straight win. They finished with a 17-4 edge in fastbreak points.
BYU had 27 assists on 39 baskets – more than double the number of assists that Wyoming tallied.
"We're not selfish," Ally Atiki said. "If someone is open, we share the ball. I think that's really important and it's hard (for opponents) to guard when you move the ball a lot."
Sam Griffin led Wyoming with 25 points and Mason Walters added 12.
The Cowboys (7-6) lost their 14th straight game in the series with BYU. The teams were conference rivals in the WAC and Mountain West until the Cougars joined the West Coast Conference in 2011.
Wyoming struggled to match BYU's pace and depth over 40 minutes.
"It's a slow drip," Wyoming coach Jeff Linder said. "If your intensity, your discipline, and your effort doesn't match theirs, they score the ball too well and they move the ball too well."
Ally Atiki scored three baskets to ignite an 18-0 run midway through the first half. The Cougars scored on six straight possessions during the run, culminating in a jumper by Robinson that gave BYU a 27-10 lead.
Ally Atiki has averaged 13 points and six rebounds over his last two contests even while playing with a broken thumb. He's scored more points in the last two games than he tallied over his previous six.
"I'm more comfortable now," Ally Atiki said. "My team trusts me and I trust my team too."
Wyoming went 7 1/2 minutes without scoring a point until Akuel Kot ended the drought with a layup. The Cowboys missed eight straight shots and committed three turnovers during that stretch.
"What's interesting is we're actually performing at a higher level defensively than offensively," BYU coach Mark Pope said. "I'm really proud of what we're doing defensively."
BYU led by double digits for the remainder of the game. After Wyoming cut the deficit to 11 on back-to-back baskets from Kot, the Cougars countered with a 19-3 run and pushed their lead to 75-48 midway through the second half. Ally Atiki and Robinson fueled the run with a pair of baskets apiece.
BIG PICTURE
Wyoming: The Cowboys struggled on the glass and gave BYU far too many extra possessions. Wyoming allowed 22 second-chance points on 15 offensive rebounds.
BYU: The Cougars' ability to get meaningful contributions on offense from every player kept Wyoming on its heels. Nine BYU players made at least one basket before halftime and four scored in double figure.
UP NEXT
Wyoming hosts San Jose State on Tuesday in its Mountain West opener.
BYU hosts Cincinnati on Saturday in its Big 12 debut.
___
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball