BYU Easily Defeats LMU, Completes Sweep of 3 game Homestand
By James Pigott
Dec 21, 2013; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks player Mike Moser (0) steals the ball from Brigham Young Cougars guard Kyle Collinsworth (5) at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
The BYU Cougars defeated the LMU Lions 91-68 on Saturday night at the Marriott Center. Tyler Haws led the way for the Cougars with 31 points, Kyle Collinsworth added 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists, and Matt Carlino broke out of a long slump, going 6/12 from the field and scoring 18 points to go along with 4 assists. Josh Sharp, starting in place of the injured Eric Mika, scored a season high 10 points, and Nate Austin tied a game high in rebounds with 9 boards.
Anthony Ireland led LMU with 17 points and 6 assists (5 turnovers), and forward C.J. Blackwell added 15 points off the bench. Alex Osborne also chipped in with 9 points and 8 rebounds.
KEYS TO THE GAME REVISITED
✓ – Hold Loyola Marymount under 75 points: I did write this key anticipating that BYU would put up 91 points, but they still managed to keep LMU below 75 points. The three players they specifically held in check were Evan Payne (2/7, 4 points), Gabe Levin (4 points), and Ben Dickinson (6 points). Ireland was forced to do too much on offense, which did not bode well for LMU. Carlino, Collinsworth, and Haws combined for 7 of BYU’s 10 steals.
X – Get Levin and Dickinson going: Neither did, and LMU suffered. The Lions need a big man who can score, and Levin and Dickinson have both showed that potential. This team will not go very far if the guards (especially Ireland) are carrying the team.
KEY MATCHUP
Kyle Collinsworth vs. Anthony Ireland: Slight edge to Collinsworth. Neither had a good assist-to-turnover ratio, but Collinsworth had 3 more points and 7 more rebounds. And Collinsworth did enough to lead his team to victory.
MOVING FORWARD
LMU has a difficult task hosting Portland on Thursday, as the Pilots just knocked off #22 Gonzaga. After defeating BYU and San Diego to start league play, the Lions have lost their last 4 contests and now stand at 2-4 in the league.
BYU travels to San Francisco in a matchup of two teams that are 3-2 in conference play. The BYU @ USF games the last two seasons have both been thrillers, and BYU won both, and I expect nothing less from Thursday’s matchup.