An Unconventional "Thrill on the Hill"

You're the BYU Cougars, and you:

shoot 33% from the field,

and shoot 18% from the arc,

while playing on the road,

at the Huntsman Center,

and Trent Plaisted shoots 2 for 11,

while Jonathan Tavernari goes 0 for 6

and the BYU post players combine to shoot 3 for 17,

and you have more turnovers than assists,

and you're outscored in the paint.

Of course, you win the game!

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In one of the great escapes of the Dave Rose era, the Cougars gutted out a Mountain West matinee win that, depending on how the rest of the season shapes up, could turn out to be a "turning point" game in a wide-open conference title chase.

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The Cougs shot the ball as poorly as they did at UNLV, but a few key differences turned a Tuesday defeat into a Saturday victory.

In no particular order:

-Utah's defensive approach was diametrically opposite of that employed by UNLV. Seven-foot-one center Luke Nevill makes it difficult to consider many pressure options, so the Utes are happy to defend you in the half court and wear you down. The fact BYU could make entry passes, post feeds, and garden variety skips relatively unchallenged was a benefit, even if BYU's shooting numbers didn't reflect it. The fact BYU was able to operate without the frantic unpredictability we saw on Tuesday kept the Cougars from losing their heads.

-BYU executed a defensive game plan from start to finish better than it had in any other game this season. It helped that Tyler Kepkay had an off-night shooting, but controlling Johnnie Bryant and contesting his looks was a major factor. Bryant has been the "Cougar Killer" in past games, averaging 15ppg v. BYU. He was held to 8 points on 3 of 10 shooting.

-BYU hit its free throws. After going 8 for 20 at UNLV, BYU went 12 for 15 on the hill, the Cougars' first 80% free throw performance in nearly two months. BYU also took 7 more freebies than Utah--a key stat, since the Utes led the league in free throw percentage coming in.

-Lee Cummard was the man. On a night when the other two members of the "Big Three" shot a combined 2 for 17, Cummard carried the Cougars. After struggling at UNLV, he bounced back with 19 points and pulled down 9 rebounds, including 3 offensive rebounds in the first half that led to extra BYU possessions. Cummard added an assist and two steals, and one of the NBA scouts I talked to at the game said he thinks Cummard has more upside than Trent Plaisted as a pro prospect.

-BYU's bench was big. While the subs were outscored by Utah's reserves 19-16, the contributions of Jimmer Fredette (8 pts, 4 reb), Chris Collinsworth (6pts, 8 reb), Chris Miles (2pts, 3 reb, 1 blk in 13 mp), and Mike Loyd (reb, ast, blk in 7mp) were instrumental in the win.

-Sam Burgess rediscovered his shooting stroke just in time. He went 0 for 5 at UNLV, and was held to 2 pts in the first half at Utah, but he recovered with 10 second-half points including the game-winning 3-pointer at the Huntsman Center to finish with 12 points--his most productive scoring outing since the Michigan State game.

-BYU was simply mentally tougher today. At UNLV, the team kind of collapsed under the pressure of the UNLV attack and the mounting momentum created and sustained by the Thomas and Mack Center crowd. At the Huntsman Center, BYU repelled every Utah attack, even when the Cougars' shots were not falling. In short, BYU showed why Dave Rose constantly credits the competitive nature of his club. These guys have had their rough games and their "meltdown moments," but they always, always, seem to bounce back and today, they showed the guts and determination of champions.

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Which brings us to this: BYU has still yet to lose back-to-back conference game since Dave Rose took over as head coach. The "comeback kids" came back strong again after a loss, and now they're back above water at 2-1 in league, with consecutive home games next up on the docket.

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This week, BYU is home to San Diego State (3-0 hosting 0-3 Wyoming Saturday night) and New Mexico (2-2 after beating now 2-2 AFA Saturday afternoon). Wednesday's game with the Aztecs tips at 6:00pm, with the Saturday game starting at 4:00pm. Pregame coverage on KSL Newsradio starts one hour prior.

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