LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Fousseyni Traore recorded his ninth double-double of the season on Saturday evening as BYU fell 75-63 to San Francisco in the quarterfinals of the West Coast Conference Tournament. 

The No. 5 seed Cougars found little rhythm on offense all night against a hounding USF defense. BYU shot 38 percent from the field and 64 percent from the free-throw line but no stat proved more difficult to overcome than a mere 15 percent from the 3-point line.

No. 4 seed USF countered the Cougars, shooting 43 percent for the game, including second half shooting numbers of 54 percent from the field and 50 percent from deep.

The Dons decisively controlled three of the game’s four major scoring runs, two of which came in the opening half.

After Te’Jon Lucas led BYU to an early 9-7 lead, USF responded with a quick 7-0 run to go up 14-9. The Cougars responded with an 8-0 run of their own as they found points in the paint with Fousseyni Traore and Trevin Knell scoring at the rim.

The Dons parried with a 9-0 run as the half wound to a close, though the Cougars briefly stemmed the tide with a brief scoring spurt from Traore and Alex Barcello.

BYU returned from the locker room down 27-24 and battled to a basket deficit at 33-31 when the Dons began their winning surge. A 13-2 USF run midway through the second half proved the game-sealer.

Barcello led BYU with 18 points, including a 7-for-9 performance from the free-throw line. Traore compiled 16 points and 12 rebounds while Spencer Johnson added 11 points, shooting 4-for-4 from the field.

Traore continued his climb up the BYU freshman record books with his ninth career double-double on Saturday. The forward from Bamako, Mali is second all-time at BYU in freshman double-doubles behind only Shawn Bradley (1990-91) with 10. Traore surpassed Yoeli Childs (2016-17) for second-most freshman games with 10 or more rebounds and is just six boards shy of surpassing Bradley for the second in total freshman rebounds at BYU.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – BYU returns to action at the West Coast Conference Tournament on Saturday, March 5, when the Cougars face San Francisco in the first of two quarterfinals at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. MST.

Saturday’s contest will be broadcast on ESPN2. It will also be broadcast live on BYU Sports Network and BYU Radio – Sirius XM 143/89.1 FM HD2 and KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM.

BYU Notes (22-9, 9-6 West Coast Conference)

• BYU picked up its 22nd win of the season on Friday with a 85-60 victory over Loyola Marymount in the second round of the WCC Tournament.
• Alex Barcello scored a team-high 22 points for the Cougars as the Chandler, Ariz. native became the seventh player in program history to make 80 or more 3-pointers in a single season.
• Fousseyni Traore recorded his eighth double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds. His six offensive rebounds against the Lions are the sixth-most by a freshman in a game in program history.

Head Coach – Mark Pope

• Alma Mater: Kentucky, 1996
• Division I Career Record: 143-80 (7th Season)
• Record at BYU: 66-24 (3rd Season)

San Francisco Notes (23-8, 10-6 West Coast Conference)

• San Francisco earned the No. 4 seed in the WCC Tournament after finishing the regular season at 23-8 overall and 10-6 in league play under third-year head coach Todd Golden.
• Jamaree Bouyea and Khalil Shabazz are one of the best backcourts in the nation as they average a combined 30.4 points per game.
• Yauhen Massalaski controls the post for the Dons as he is nearly averaging a double-double with 13.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.

Head Coach – Todd Golden

• Alma Mater: Saint Mary’s, 2007
• Division I Career Record: 56-34 (3rd Season)

Series Information

• Series Record: BYU leads 23-10
• Last Meeting, USF won 73-69, February 3, 2022
• H/A/N: 11-3/9-6/3-1

Broadcast Information

• TV: ESPN2
• TV Talent: Dave Flemming, Sean Farnham
• Radio: BYU Sports Network, BYU Radio Sirius XM 143/89.1 FM HD2, KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM
• Streamed Audio: BYURadio.org, BYUCougars.com/LiveRadio and the BYU Radio, BYU Cougars and BYU Gameday apps
• Radio Talent: Greg Wrubell, Mark Durrant
• Live stats: BYUCougars.com