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PROVO -- In preparation for Wednesday's game against the Aztecs, the No. 11 BYU Cougars' main objective was to keep San Diego State from out-rebounding them. The Cougars (26-3, 11-2 MWC) did just that, collecting one more rebound than the Aztecs (20-8, 9-5 MWC) on the way to an 82-68 win.
Jackson Emery, a candidate for MWC Defensive Player of the Year, said after the game that his team's rebounding performance was simply the product of the desire to win.
"More than anything, when rebounding comes down to it, you just have to want it more than them," said Emery, noting specifically a concerted effort by the guards to rebound aggressively.
BYU guard Jimmer Fredette, who was announced as a Naismith Trophy mid-season candidate early Wednesday, led all scorers with 26 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists, despite missing an uncharacteristic five free throws. SDSU Head Coach Steve Fisher had high praise for the junior after the game.
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Fredette leads No. 13 BYU past San Diego State
Jimmer Fredette scored 26 points and Jackson Emery added 18 as No. 13 BYU beat San Diego State 82-68 on Wednesday night to move within a half-game of first place in the MWC.Although the Cougars usually play man-to-man defense, they spent most of the game in a zone, helping BYU limit the Aztecs from getting into the paint, and forcing them to shoot outside shots. Fisher said the Cougars' zone gave his team trouble.
"If you're going to be able to beat a zone, you've got to be able to make some perimeter shots," Fisher said. "Obviously we didn't do well enough, because we got beat by 14."
Aztec leading scorer and rebounder Kawhi Leonard was surprisingly ineffective against the Cougars, finishing with only three points and five rebounds. Fisher noted after the game that Leonard wasn't feeling well before the game, and he continued to feel worse as the game progressed.
BYU Head Coach said his team played more zone Wednesday night than it ever has.
"The guys were really good in (the zone). We were really quick and we were athletic to the spots," Rose said. "I thought that (Jonathan Tavernari) and Brandon (Davies) were exceptional in that zone covering space."
With the rebounding battle even (BYU recorded 38 to SDSU's 37), the Cougars' defense proved to be the difference in the game. The Cougars forced 16 turnovers and only committed eight. BYU capitalized on the Aztecs' inability to protect the ball scoring 23 points off turnovers.
Emery was the second leading scorer for the Cougars, dropping in 17 points, adding three assists, five steals and seven rebounds.
Freshman Tyler Haws and Tavernari were the other two BYU players in double figures, scoring 10 and 11 points, respectively.
Early in the game the two teams went back and forth with seven ties and 11 lead changes before an Emery-fueled 8-0 run helped the Cougars pull away to lead 36-28 at halftime. The Aztecs were able to tie the game early in the second half, but never took the lead and eventually allowed BYU to stretch the lead to as many as 18 points late in the game.
Rose said the win was a big relief as his team can now focus on the other MWC title contender in New Mexico, a team set to visit the Marriott Center Saturday.
"It's a huge win, especially knowing that you've got to come back tomorrow and Friday and play a huge game," Rose said. "If you get beat (in tonight's game), it kind of rattles you a little bit. This should give us some confidence and both teams are playing on a winning streak, so it's a big game."
New Mexico, despite its 12-game winning streak, has been less than dominant in recent games against lower-level MWC teams in Air Force and Colorado State. The No. 10 Lobos defeated both teams by only nine points combined.
Tip-off is at 2 p.m. Saturday.
