PROVO, Utah – BYU men’s basketball fell to Santa Clara 81-74 Thursday night in the Marriott Center.

“Super disappointing outcome,” said BYU head coach Mark Pope. “It was a super disappointing first half. I was proud of the guys for having some fight in the second half. We just have to get better in 100 different ways.”

BOX SCORE

NOTES & QUOTES

Rudi Williams led the Cougars in scoring as the senior finished with 20 points, going 7-of-13 from the field, 2-of-3 from three and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Fousseyni Traore reached double figures for the seventh straight game, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season and 16th of his career. 

Trey Stewart finished with a career-high nine points to go along with two rebounds and two steals as the Cougars outscored the Broncos 35-14 in bench points. 

"I am super proud of Trey (Stewart)," said Pope. "He's on the path to becoming a really special player. He did not get any opportunities last year and he has had up and down opportunities this year. He is handling this right and letting it grow him into a really special competitor and he has got a terrific future."

The Cougars took their only lead of the game at 8-6 with a Traore layup on a nice pass from Spencer Johnson. Santa Clara retook the lead at 10-8 before extending the lead to 22-12 on a dunk from Cameron Tongue with just under 12 minutes to play in the first half. 

BYU continued to keep itself in striking distance with a fast break layup as they only trailed by six at the four-minute mark following a pair of free throws from Atiki Ally Atiki. The Broncos closed the first half on a 9-0 run as the Cougars trailed by 17, 47-30, at halftime.

After going 0-of-7 from 3-point range in the first half, Dallin Hall finally connected on the Cougars first 3-pointer at the 16:49 mark in the second half. BYU continued to chip away at the SCU lead as four straight points from Williams and Traore to make it 58-45 at the 14:15 mark. 

Williams hit the first of his two 3-pointers with less than nine minutes remaining in regulation to get the Cougars within 10, 64-54. He would connect on another 3-pointer six minutes later to cut the deficit in single digits for the first time since in the final minutes of the first half, 72-63. 

BYU hits the road Saturday with a trip to Moraga on Feb. 18, to face off against St. Mary's. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST on ESPN 2 It can also be heard live on BYU Radio Sirius XM 143, BYURadio.org/BYU Radio app or KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM.

PROVO, Utah – BYU returns to the friendly confines of the Marriott Center on Thursday, February 16, when the Cougars host Santa Clara. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. MST in Provo, Utah.

Thursday’s contest will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network. Greg Wrubell and Mark Durrant will also be on the call on the BYU Sports Network on BYU Radio Sirius XM 143 and KSL 102.7/1160 AM.

BYU Notes (16-12, 6-7 WCC)

• BYU is 11-3 at home this season including two straight with wins over Loyola Marymount and Pacific during the Cougars last home stand.
• Fousseyni Traore has scored in double figures in six consecutive games, tied for the longest streak in his young career. The sophomore is averaging a team-high 12.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.
• Jaxson Robinson has hit at least one 3-pointer in 15 straight games, tied for the 13th longest streak in a single season in program history. The sophomore has hit a team-high 55 triples this season.

Head Coach – Mark Pope

• Alma Mater: Kentucky, 1996
• Division I Career Record: 161-94 (8th Season)
• Record at BYU:  84-38 (4th Season)

Santa Clara Notes (19-8, 7-5 WCC)

• Santa Clara enters Thursday’s matchup on a three-game win streak following a 71-69 victory over LMU on Saturday.
• Brandin Podziemski ranks third in the West Coast Conference and 36th in the nation in scoring at 19.4 points per game. The sophomore is shooting 47.1 percent from the field, 43.2 percent from 3-point range and 80.0 percent from the free throw line.
• Keshawn Justice ranks first in the WCC and 25th in the nation in 3-point attempts as the fifth-year senior has 207 attempts from behind the arc.

Head Coach – Herb Sendek

• Alma Mater: Carnegie Mellon, 1985
• Division I Career Record: 529-387 (29th Season)
• Record at Santa Clara: 116-92 (7th Season)

Series Information

• Series Record: BYU leads 32-8
• Last Meeting: Santa Clara won, 83-76 (1/19/23)
• H/A/N: 18-2/11-6/3-0

Broadcast Information

• TV: CBS Sports Network
• TV Talent: John Sadak, Mike O’Donnell
• Streamed Audio: BYU Radio Sirius XM 143, KSL 102.7/1160 AM, BYURadio.org, BYU Radio app
• Radio Talent: Greg Wrubell, Mark Durrant
• Live stats: BYUCougars.com