BYU easily defeats short-handed Santa Clara
By James Pigott
Jan 4, 2014; Provo, UT, USA; San Diego Toreros guard Chris Sarbaugh (5) drives to the basket while being guarded by Brigham Young Cougars guard Anson Winder (20) during the first half at Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
BYU jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, defeating Santa Clara by a score of 91-81 at the Leavey Center. Matt Carlino led the Cougars with 16 points and 9 assists (1 turnover), while Kyle Collinsworth added 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Anson Winder chipped in 16 points off the bench, and Tyler Haws also added 16 points for BYU. Eric Mika scored in double figures for his 17th consecutive game, scoring 10 points. Skyler Halford also scored 10 points. Nate Austin pulled down 7 rebounds for the Cougars as well.
Santa Clara, playing without seniors Evan Roquemore and John McArthur due to academic issues, was forced to rely on the other two starting guards to take most of their team’s shots. Jared Brownridge led the Broncos with 30 points, while Brandon Clark followed with 20 points. No other Bronco player scored in double figures. Yannick Atanga led the Santa Clara rebounding effort with 6 boards, though there weren’t many rebounds to get in such a high scoring game.
BYU led by 17 points at halftime, and while Santa Clara did make a second-half run, the deficit never got into single digits, and the Cougars were able to secure a comfortable victory.
KEYS TO THE GAME REVISITED
Santa Clara
F – Get Evan Roquemore going: Anyone who fails in the classroom automatically fails on the basketball court. As a senior, I expected more from Roquemore, and however minor his academic issue was, he missed a key WCC game, and forced everyone else into a role they were not comfortable in. I would have hoped that Roquemore was more accountable for his academics, but unfortunately that was not the case.
✓ – Carlino’s second half shooting: Carlino shot 2/4 in the second half, but it was his 9 assists and 1 turnover that allowed BYU to win this game. He is clearly back on track and settling into his role as the 5th guard in the rotation, which is great to see if you are a BYU fan.
KEY MATCHUP
Jared Brownridge vs. Tyler Haws: Tyler Haws picked up 2 fouls 44 seconds into the game, but his excellent 2nd half and BYU’s victory will give him the edge in this matchup, despite the fact that Brownridge went for 30 points.
MOVING FORWARD
Santa Clara played a decent game without their starting point guard, but lost to a tough BYU team. Things do not get much easier for the Broncos when they travel to San Francisco to play the Dons next Saturday.
BYU is looking like one of the best teams in the WCC, and they will get a chance to prove it next week when they make the roadtrip up to Portland and Gonzaga.