BYU gets Revenge, Pounds Gaels at Home

Jan 10, 2015; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars guard Kyle Collinsworth (5) protects the ball while shooting over Loyola Marymount Lions guard Ayodeji Egbeyemi (24) during the second half at Marriott Center. Brigham Young Cougars won 85-72. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Although the Cougars have endured an underwhelming West Coast Conference season thus far, BYU was sure able to send a message to the rest of the conference with their 82-60 shellacking of Saint Mary’s tonight.

After leading 42-30 at halftime, BYU rattled off a 30 to 11 run to open up a 31 point lead, the Cougars biggest of the game.

Kyle Collinsworth and Skler Halford led the Cougars tonight with 15 points, with Collinsworth also leading BYU on the glass with nine rebounds. Josh Sharp – who played 7.5 minutes per game this season going into tonight’s game – played a pivotal role in the Cougars victory, playing 25 minutes, scoring eight points and dishing out five assists. Halford as tallied five dimes in the win. Starting center Corbin Kaufusi did not record a single point in tonight’s game, but denied five shots in the Cougars emphatic win over the Gaels.

Once again, Brad Waldow led things for the Gaels offensively, scoring 17 points in the loss. Dane Pineau came off the bench and recorded a team-high eight rebounds, while Waldow’s three assists led the squad in a losing effort. Garrett Jackson and Kerry Carter were both able to reach double-figures with 13 and 11 points respectively.

The Gaels inability to make their long range shots was the biggest statistical discrepancy between the two teams. Saint Mary’s only connected on 18 percent of its 3-point attempts in tonight’s matchup (2-11 3PT), while BYU made 47% of its attempts (9-19 3PT). BYU was able to use perimeter shooting to open up leads and get the crowd into the game, something that eventually led to a large momentum swing in the Cougars favor.

Next for the Gaels will be at San Diego, while BYU will host Pacific.