BYU outshoots Long Beach State 95-90

Nov 11, 2013; Stanford, CA, USA; Brigham Young Cougars guard Frank Bartley IV (24) high fives Cougars forward Nate Austin (33) during a timeout in the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Haws scored 21 points to lead five BYU players in double figures as the Cougars to a 95-90 victory over the Long Beach State 49ers, who were playing without suspended starting guard Tyler Lamb.  Skyler Halford added an efficient 18 points on 5/7 shooting to go with 7 assists, filling in for Kyle Collinsworth, who picked up two early fouls and only ended up playing 13 minutes after five turnovers.  Chase Fischer had an impressive debut for BYU with 17 points on 4/8 three point shooting.  Anson Winder was a stabilizing force on offense and defense with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 0 turnovers.  The Cougars got contributions in the frontcourt from Nate Austin (6 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks) and Isaac Neilson (10 points).

Mike Caffey led the 49ers with 26 points, 6 assists (7 turnovers), and 5 steals, hitting shot after shot late in the second half to keep his team close, despite injuring his ankle midway through the game. McKay LaSalle, returning to his home state of Utah, scored 16 points on 5/8 shooting from beyond the arc, while freshman Deontae North was impressive in his college debut, scoring 16 points as well.  Forward Jack Williams also added 10 points.

Stat of the Night

BYU went 28/33 from the free throw line, compared to LBSU’s meager 11/20.  That’s 17 extra points at the free throw line, an area BYU excelled in last season and will look to do so again this season.  Unlike many teams in college basketball, BYU gets excellent foul shooting out of their big men, and will look to use the foul line as an equalizer against some of the more athletic teams they play this season

Moving Forward

The Cougars will need to play better defense if they want to beat the teams they have on their schedule in this brutal non-conference schedule, starting in Maui in 9 days.  The next two games on their schedule, Arkansas Little Rock and Southern Virginia, shouldn’t pose too much of a challenge.  This will give Kyle Collinsworth more time to fully recover and be ready for the Maui Invitational, where his five turnovers in 13 minutes just won’t cut it against the likes of San Diego State.  BYU shot the ball well tonight, and if they can continue to do so, they will remain one of the best offensive teams in the country and be a tough out for any opponent on their schedule.