PROVO -- A solid first half was not enough for the Cougars as the University of Utah pulled away to defeat BYU, 72-58, Monday in the Marriott Center in the first of two meetings between the in-state rivals.

The Cougars now stand at 7-14 overall and 1-5 in the Mountain West Conference while the No. 21 Utes are 18-3 and 6-0. Utah also increased its lead to 121-117 in the series, its largest margin ever.

BYU Coach Steve Cleveland said his team played a solid first half but made too many mistakes to stay in the game.

"The turning point of the game was in the second half," Cleveland said. "When we turned it over for the first five possessions of the second half, the swing of the game turned. We had control of the basketball game but we let it go in the first three or four minutes of the second half. We're not good enough to beat this caliber of team when our whole team isn't playing well."

Austin Ainge led three double figure scorers for BYU with 15 points while Jimmy Balderson recorded 13 and Keena Young contributed 10. Ainge added five assists, and Young and Garner Meads had four rebounds each.

"I thought Jimmy played very well," Cleveland said. "Our post players played well but they just aren't an offensive threat."

Four Utes finished with double digits, led by Andrew Bogut's game-high 20. Bryant Markson and Tim Drisdom had 11 points each, and Mark Jackson chipped in 10. Bogut also had a game-high nine rebounds and added four assists.

For the game, the Cougars shot 43.2 percent (19-44) while Utah connected on 61.9 percent of its shots (26-42). The Utes also won the rebounding battle, grabbing 27 to BYU's 20.

The Cougars did not let Utah's No. 21 ranking intimidate them in the first period as they came out aggressive on both sides of the ball. Derek Dawes gave BYU its first lead at 3-2 with a thunderous dunk off a feed from Ainge.

The Utes went ahead at 7-5 before an Ainge three gave the Cougars a lead they would hold for more than nine minutes. Rose hit a three from the corner that was followed by an Ainge turnaround jumper over Bogut, putting BYU up 15-9.

Utah chipped its way back into the game with a 5-0 run, cutting the lead to 15-14, but a Balderson layup for the Cougars pushed the lead back to three. The Utes then went on an 8-2 run, capped by layups from Jackson and Bogut to give Utah a 22-19 lead.

BYU put together a run of its own with Jared Jensen and Ainge hitting two-point field goals and Balderson nailing a three. A Jensen free throw extended the Cougars' lead to 27-24.

Utah took the lead once more on four consecutive free throws by Bogut. Meads came down the floor determined to send his team into the locker room with the lead, rebounding his own miss and putting it back for the 29-28 halftime lead. It marked only the fourth time this season the Utes have gone into the locker room trailing. The shot also made Meads the eighth BYU player to score in the first half.

Utah stormed out of the gates in the second period of play, scoring the first four points before Balderson tied the score at 32 with a three pointer from the corner. The Utes then scored seven straight points, forcing a BYU timeout.

The timeout did not halt the momentum as Markson kept the run alive by getting a dunk and a three-pointer to put the Utes up 44-32, extend the run to 16-3 and forcing another Cougar timeout.

Hall ended the run with a turnaround jumper out of the timeout to pull the Cougars to within 10. But Utah again pulled away, going up by 13 at 54-41. Balderson responded with a three to again cut the lead to 10. BYU would get no closer as the Utes stayed in control the rest of the way to take the game and stay perfect in the Mountain West Conference.

The Cougars will be back in action Saturday Feb. 5 against UNLV to complete the first half of MWC play. BYU and the Rebels will tip off at noon PST in Las Vegas. The game will be televised on ESPN+. The radio broadcast can be heard on KSL Newsradio 1160.

Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS
University of Utah vs Brigham Young
01/31/05 10:01 PM at Marriot Center, Provo, UT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: University of Utah 18-3, 6-0
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
20 MARKSON, Bryant..... f  5-7    1-1    0-0    1  3  4   3  11  1  5  1  2  32
30 JACKSON, Chris...... f  0-0    0-0    0-2    0  0  0   4   0  0  0  0  0   6
04 BOGUT, Andrew....... c  7-10   0-0    6-8    1  8  9   2  20  4  4  5  1  37
02 JACKSON, Marc....... g  3-7    0-3    4-4    1  3  4   3  10  4  2  0  0  37
11 DRISDOM, Tim........ g  4-6    1-3    2-3    1  1  2   2  11  2  2  0  1  30
03 CALVIN, Jermaine....    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   2
05 HAWKINS, Justin.....    4-4    0-0    1-1    2  2  4   2   9  1  1  0  0  23
10 IVERSON, Casey......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   1
13 CHANEY, Richard.....    2-4    0-0    3-3    0  2  2   4   7  1  1  0  0  14
15 GRANT, Chris........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  1  0  0   1
51 LANGVAD, Jonas......    1-4    0-1    2-2    0  0  0   0   4  0  0  0  1  17
   TEAM................                         1  1  2
   Totals..............   26-42   2-8   18-23   7 20 27  20  72 13 16  6  5 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  9-18 50.0%   2nd Half: 17-24 70.8%   Game: 61.9%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  1-6  16.7%   2nd Half:  1-2  50.0%   Game: 25.0%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  9-12 75.0%   2nd Half:  9-11 81.8%   Game: 78.3%    3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: Brigham Young 7-14, 1-5
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
01 HALL, Mike.......... f  1-7    0-3    2-2    0  1  1   3   4  1  0  2  2  31
03 YOUNG, Keena........ f  3-6    0-0    4-7    1  3  4   3  10  2  2  0  2  23
43 DAWES, Derek........ c  2-3    0-0    0-0    1  1  2   5   4  0  2  0  1  17
13 AINGE, Austin....... g  5-8    1-3    4-5    0  0  0   1  15  5  3  0  1  32
23 BALDERSON, Jimmy.... g  4-6    3-4    2-4    1  1  2   3  13  0  1  0  1  20
02 ROSE, Mike..........    1-2    1-1    0-0    0  1  1   3   3  0  2  0  0  23
04 BURGESS, Joshua.....    0-0    0-0    0-0    1  0  1   0   0  0  0  0  0   1
10 NASHIF, Terry.......    0-1    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  2  1  0  0   9
12 REICHNER, Brock.....    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   3
20 BURGESS, Sam........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   2
41 MEADS, Garner.......    2-6    0-0    0-0    3  1  4   1   4  0  1  1  0  17
52 JENSEN, Jared.......    1-3    0-0    3-5    2  1  3   1   5  0  0  0  1  14
54 MILES, Chris........    0-2    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   2   0  0  0  1  0   8
   TEAM................                            2  2
   Totals..............   19-44   5-11  15-23   9 11 20  22  58 10 12  4  8 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-26 42.3%   2nd Half:  8-18 44.4%   Game: 43.2%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  3-7  42.9%   2nd Half:  2-4  50.0%   Game: 45.5%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  4-7  57.1%   2nd Half: 11-16 68.8%   Game: 65.2%    4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: David Hall, Randy McCall, Larry Spaulding
Technical fouls: University of Utah-MARKSON, Bryant. Brigham Young-HALL,
Mike; MILES, Chris.
Attendance: 14072
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
University of Utah............   28   44  -   72
Brigham Young.................   29   29  -   58
Points in the paint-UT 44,BY 18. Points off turnovers-UT 17,BY 24.
2nd chance points-UT 8,BY 5. Fast break points-UT 4,BY 0.
Bench points-UT 20,BY 12. Score tied-4 times. Lead changes-12 times.

BYU (7-13, 1-4 MWC) completes a three-game homestand Monday by hosting No. 25 Utah (17-3, 5-0 MWC) in a 10 p.m. ESPN tilt. The radio broadcast can be heard on KSL Newsradio 1160 (KSL.com).

UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS

The Cougars will begin the month of February with two MWC road games. BYU will face UNLV Saturday Feb. 5 at noon PST (1 p.m. MST) on ESPN+ and then take on San Diego State for the second time this season Monday Feb. 7 in a 7 p.m. PST (8 p.m. MST) start on SportsWest (UPN-Z24).

BYU GAME #21 FAST FACTS

BYU COUGARS (7-13, 1-4 MWC) vs. NO. 25 UTAH UTES (17-3, 5-0 MWC)

MONDAY, JAN. 31, 2005

MARRIOTT CENTER (22,700)

PROVO, UTAH 10 p.m. MST

Coaches:

BYU, Steve Cleveland (136-100 in eighth season; same overall)

Utah, Ray Giacoletti (17-3 in first season; 134-86 in eighth season overall)

Series:

Utah leads, 120-117 (Both teams won at home last year before Utah earned a 54-51 MWC semifinal win)

TV:

ESPN (Dave Pasch calling play-by-play and Jimmy Dykes adding analysis)

Radio:

KSL 1160, BYU Sports Network (Greg Wrubell calls play-by-play with Mark Durrant adding commentary)

Web:

Live audio and live stats are available at byucougars.com/basketball_m/ (see upcoming schedule)

COUGAR QUICK HITS

- BYU (7-13, 1-4 MWC) is 5-5 at home, 1-5 away and 1-3 on a neutral floor. BYU's non-league schedule this season included four Pac-10 opponents and two nationally ranked ACC teams.

- Utah is the third top-25 team BYU has faced this year (0-2 with losses to North Carolina and NC State). BYU's last win over a top-25 team was last year when BYU downed then No. 25 and eventual Final Four participant Oklahoma State in the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

- With his next victory BYU coach Steve Cleveland will tie Frank Arnold (1975-83) for fourth place on BYU's all-time victory list. In the Marriott Center, Cleveland is already No. 2 in wins and needs four more home victories to top the list.

- BYU coach Steve Cleveland has utilized 15 different starting lineups this season in 20 games while dealing with injuries and some inconsistent play from a mostly inexperienced roster.

- The 10 BYU players averaging double-digit minutes this season include six sophomores, three seniors and one freshman. Only three players -- seniors Mike Hall and Jared Jensen and sophomore Garner Meads -- averaged more than 10 minutes during a prior season as a Cougar. Of BYU's freshmen top-20 signing class, only F/C Chris Miles is currently playing as David Burgess (ankles) and Trent Plaisted (knees) are out while top guard prospect and Arizona Player of the Year Lee Cummard has not been with the team this year after opting to serve an LDS Church mission. After returning early, he will join BYU next season.

- Senior guard Mike Hall leads BYU in scoring at 13.8 ppg. Sophomore guard Mike Rose adds 10.2 ppg while sophomore point guard Austin Ainge and senior center Jared Jensen contribute 9.1 ppg. Ainge leads BYU with 4.1 assists (4th in the MWC) and 1.4 steals. Sophomore transfer Keena Young pulls down a team-best 5.9 rebounds with sophomore center Derek Dawes averaging 4.9 rpg.

- BYU shoots .429 from the floor, .358 from three and .748 (No. 1 MWC, 19th nationally) from the line while averaging 67.9 ppg. BYU opponents have shot .425 (FG) and .349 (3FG) while scoring 68.1 ppg. BYU has a slight 35.9 to 35.5 rebounding edge over its opponents on average over the first 20 games.

LOOKING AT UTAH

After winning 12 straight games, the University of Utah Utes are ranked No. 25 as of Jan. 23rd with a 17-3 overall record and a 3-2 road record. In addition to a perfect 5-0 Mountain West Conference mark, the Utes defeated Cougar opponents Weber State and Southern Utah and lost to Utah State. Utah is led by 7-0 sophomore center Andrew Bogut. The 2004 MWC Freshman of the Year is averaging 20 points per game and 12.2 rebounds per game, leading the league in both categories and ranking second in the nation on the glass. Bogut has started every game this season and is shooting 64.7 percent from the field, second in the MWC and fourth in the nation. Senior Marc Jackson, who returns this season after a year-long hiatus, is second on the team in scoring with 11.3 ppg. The 6-1 guard also leads the team in assists, averaging 3.6 per outing, and is tops in three-point field goal percentage, making 53.4 percent from beyond the arc. A 2004 MWC All-Tournament Team selection, junior Richard Chaney is third on the team in scoring at 10.7 ppg while fellow junior Bryant Markson is second for the Utes in rebounding with 3.8 per game and fourth in scoring, averaging 10.5 ppg. As a team, Utah shoots 53.5 percent from the field, including 41.7 percent from three-point range, while averaging 71.2 points per game. The Utes allow their opponents to shoot 42.2 percent with a 35.1 percent efficiency from beyond the arc while averaging 57.5 points per game. Utah is ranked first in the nation in field goal percentage, third in rebound margin (11.3), sixth in three-point percentage and seventh in scoring defense. First-year Ute head coach Ray Giacoletti owns a 134-86 record in his eighth season overall.

LAST OUTING - BOGUT LEADS NO. 25 UTAH PAST FALCONS

SALT LAKE -- Andrew Bogut scored 25 points on 11-of-12 shooting to lift No. 25 Utah to a 63-51 victory Monday night over Air Force. The Utes, playing under first-year coach Ray Giacoletti, have won 12 straight since losing at Arizona on Dec. 11. The other losses were to Washington and Utah State, both on the road. Bryant Markson and Mark Jackson each scored 11 points, and Jackson tied a career-high with 10 assists for the Utes, who shot a school-record 80 percent from the field (24-of-30) against the nation's No. 1 defense. Utah's previous best shooting game was 73.7 percent against Air Force in 1987. The Utes took apart Air Force with quick passes and lobs to Bogut, a 7-foot sophomore from Australia. Bogut, who leads the nation in rebounding and double-doubles, also had nine rebounds. Nick Welch had 15 points to lead the Falcons (12-7, 3-1), who lost for just the second time in eight games. Bogut scored seven points in a 14-2 run at the start of the second half that gave Utah a 46-32 lead after Air Force closed within 12 points. The Falcons, outrebounded 23-13, couldn't get within single digits the rest of the way. The Falcons (12-7, 3-1), who start only one player taller than 6-foot-6, double- and triple-teamed Bogut at every opportunity, but still couldn't stop him.

UTAH'S PROJECTED STARTERS

Pos. # Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG

F 5 Justin Hawkins 6-5 220 So. 7.4 3.1

F 20 Bryant Markson 6-6 190 Jr. 10.5 3.8

C 4 Andrew Bogut 7-0 240 So. 20.0 12.2

G 2 Marc Jackson 6-1 175 Sr. 11.3 3.4

G 11 Tim Drisdom 6-3 203 So. 5.6 2.2

SERIES NOTES

BYU and Utah will meet for the 238th time Monday. The series ranks 10th in the NCAA record book in terms of most games in a rivalry and is the 11th longest running rivalry dating back to 1909. Utah is the opponent that BYU has played the most in its history (237 games) and is BYU's second longest running series (Utah State series began in 1905 and includes 220 games). BYU won the inaugural game, 32-9 in Provo, on Jan. 23, 1909, and won again on March 5 of that year, 40-27, in SLC on its way to winning the first eight games against the Utes. Last year BYU won in Provo after the Utes' come-from-behind win in Salt Lake City and then lost to Utah in the semifinals of the MWC Tournament. The Utes' 2003 victory in Provo ended BYU's nation-best 44-game homecourt victory streak. Utah has won six of the last 10 games since BYU ended a string of 12 straight Utah wins, its longest in the series, with the Cougars' 58-54 win at the 2000 MWC tournament semifinals. The Utes have won 10 straight at the Huntsman Center. BYU's last win at Utah was a 64-62 victory on Jan. 8, 1994. That win started a four-game BYU winning streak that preceded Utah's 12-game streak. BYU has 65-46 record in Provo against the Utes, while Utah holds a 70-46 advantage in Salt Lake City. BYU has a 6-4 edge on a neutral floor.

UTES HOLD RARE EDGE IN LONG-RUNNING SERIES

In the 96 years of the BYU-Utah series, BYU has only twice (the past two years) finished a season trailing Utah in the overall series. Utah swept the regular-season series in 2000 to take its first-ever lead (114-113) in the overall series since it began in 1909. BYU evened the series with a 2000 MWC Tournament victory that year. Utah again held a one-game edge (116-115) in 2002 with its win in Salt Lake City. In the second game that year the Cougars staged second-half comeback from 21 points down to even the series again at 116-116. With its sweep of the season series in 2003, Utah earned its third advantage in the long-running series and finished a season with the lead for the first time. It was also Utah's first-ever multi-game lead (118-116). Utah won the first game last year and two of the three meetings to twice enjoy its largest lead of three games in the series. Utah currently holds a 120-117 advantage.

BYU SERIES RECORD VS. UTAH

Overall Series Record: Utah leads 120-117

BYU Record in Provo: 65-46

BYU Record in Salt Lake: 46-70

BYU Record at Neutral Sites: 6-4

BYU Record under Steve Cleveland: 4-13

BYU Record in OT Games: 4-6* (1-1 Rd, 2-5 Hm, 1-0 Ntrl)

*1-0 in 2OT, 0-2 in 3OT - all in Provo (83-85)

Last Overtime Game: 1991, won v. Utah @ WAC, 51-49

Longest BYU Win Streak: 8 (1909-12)

Longest Utah Win Streak: 12 (1995-2000)

Largest BYU Margin of Victory: 31 two times (1965, 94)

Largest Utah Margin of Victory: 36, 85-49 (1997)

Most Points Scored by BYU: 115 (1966)

Most Points Scored by Utah: 106 two times (1962, 1963)

LAST YEAR IN PROVO -- BYU DOWNS UTAH TO EXTEND VICTORY STREAK

PROVO -- The NCAA postseason hopes are alive and well in Provo after the Cougars downed Utah 70-57 on ESPN's Big Monday and grabbed a hold on second-place in the Mountain West Conference. The 22,718 screaming fans in the Marriott Center for senior night saw the Cougars secure an undefeated home record for the year (13-0) and extend their home-winning streak to 18 straight victories. BYU has now won 62 of its last 63 games at home and is currently riding a seven-game winning streak, the longest of the season. Coming through for the Cougars was the dynamic trio of seniors Rafael Araujo, Mark Bigelow and junior Mike Hall. Araujo finished the night with 16 points and Bigelow came up big with 19, but Hall stole the show, turning in a game-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting. The three keys to the Cougars' upper-handed play was their ability to outscore the Utes in the paint 36-14, forcing 23 turnovers to their own seven and then capitalizing off of those turnovers by scoring 27 points to Utah's seven. Thanks to a 19-2 run on the strength of a defensive outing that held the Utes to 19 points in the half -- the lowest point total BYU has held an opponent to since holding the Utes to 19 in the first half at the Huntsman Center back in January -- BYU overcame a slow start. The Utes jumped out to an 8-0 lead before Cougar senior guard Luiz Lemes knocked down a three with 16:09 left in the half. Araujo cut the Ute lead to six with a follow-up basket off of a missed Bigelow layup at 13-7. Down 17-10, the Cougars' Hall went on a 7-0 run beginning with a steal he took the length of the court for the layin where he was fouled and then converted the old fashion three-point play. Hall then knocked down a short jumper and on the ensuing possession again stole the pass intended for Utah's Nick Jacobson, who led the Utes with 16 points, and drove all the way in for the slam that tied the game at 17 apiece. The Cougars continued to roll with Hall putting the Cougars on top for the first time in the game at 21-19, as he drove past Jacobson for the easy layin. But it was Meads' follow up dunk off of a Woodberry miss that brought the Marriott Center crowd to its feet and gave BYU a 23-19 lead. Bigelow capped off the Cougars' 19-2 run in the waning minutes of the half with a three-point shot from the top of the key, sending BYU into the half up 26-19. Coming out of the break Araujo broke loose for eight of his 16 in the opening four minutes of the second half, giving BYU their first double-digit lead at 36-26. BYU struggled to pull away from the Utes with Utah closing the gap again with a Jacobson three-pointer and a bucket by freshman Andrew Bogut that pulled Utah to within four at 43-39.The Cougars responded with a shot by Araujo, a free throw by senior Kevin Woodberry, a baseline jumper from Hall and a running-scoop shot in the lane by freshman Garner Meads to lift BYU to a 50-39 lead. With 5:47 left to play, a Meads' basket lifted the Cougars to an 11-point advantage. The Utes would cut the lead to six but BYU pushed it back to 12 after a pair of Bigelow free throws at 57-45. In the closing seconds it was all BYU with the Cougars scoring seven points including another Hall dunk and a wide-open Lemes layup to seal the 70-57 victory. With the win, BYU improves to 19-7 and 9-4 in the Mountain West Conference. Utah falls to 20-8 and 8-5. The Cougars have secured the No. 2 seed at next week's MWC Tournament while Utah has wrapped up the No. 3 spot.

WHAT COACH CLEVELAND HAD TO SAY AFTER THE GAME IN PROVO LAST YEAR

"Hall gave us a real spark. He'll sleep the best tonight for the effort he gave. It was a great defensive effort. There were not nearly as many mistakes. We executed better and made better plays. (This win) keeps our (NCAA) hopes alive.

LAST YEAR AT UTAH -- UTES EARN COMEBACK WIN OVER BYU

SALT LAKE -- Utah's Nick Jacobson and Andrew Bogut each scored 21 points and the Utes held BYU to just one field goal in the final six minutes as Utah overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to earn a 64-56 victory Saturday afternoon at the Huntsman Center. The Cougars jumped out to a 15-point lead in the first half behind the shooting of Mark Bigelow and Garner Meads. Bigelow scored 14 points in the first half on 5-5 shooting, including three 3-pointers, while Meads added 10 points. BYU used runs of 10-2 and 11-4 to build its lead in the first 20 minutes with Utah never leading, but the Utes came out of the locker room in the second half fired up behind the 3-point shooting of Jacobson and the inside play of Bogut. After a Mike Hall basket to open the second half, the Utes exploded for a 15-4 run to cut the BYU lead to six at 40-34. Utah would take its first lead of the game on a Jacobson 3-point basket with 7:16 remaining. Utah would take the lead for good a few of minutes later on another 3-pointer by Jacobson, who finished the game with five triples, four in the second half. Then the Utes turned up the defensive pressure, holding BYU to just six points over the final four minutes. Bigelow finished with a season-high 22 points to lead BYU, while Rafael Araujo added a team-high nine boards. Bogut pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds for Utah and also had an excellent game defensively, helping hold Araujo, who entered the game with a league-leading 19.8 scoring average, to just eight points. BYU forward Jared Jensen missed his third straight game with a back injury, and Cougar backup point guard Terry Nashif was not able to play, out with mononucleosis. With the loss, BYU falls to 2-4 in conference and 12-7 overall, while Utah improves to 4-2 in conference and 16-5 overall. The Cougars have lost three games in a row for the first time since a three-game skid in 2002. BYU has played eight of its last 11 games on the road, including the last three contests. The Cougars will play five of their final eight regular-season games in Provo.

WHAT BYU COACH STEVE CLEVELAND HAD TO SAY AFTER THE GAME AT UTAH LAST YEAR ...

"We played well in the first half. We were able to stop them from getting second and third shots, but we weren't able to stop them from getting second and third opportunities in the second half. In the last five minutes (of the game) they got their confidence back and we weren't able to counter."

LAST YEAR IN MWC SEMIFINAL -- THREE-POINT LOSS ENDS BYU VICTORY STREAK AT NINE GAMES

DENVER -- The Mountain West Conference Tournament ended for the No. 2-seeded BYU men's basketball team on Friday, with a heartbreaking 54-51 loss to the No. 3-seeded University of Utah at the Pepsi Center in Denver. The loss snapped the Cougars' nine-game winning streak that had pushed their overall record to 21-8 and 10-4 in the MWC. It also means the Cougars will not receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and must await a decision from the NCAA Selection Committee. Some of what the Cougars have done to merit an at-large invitation is go 9-1 in their last 10 games -- one of the biggest criteria for the committee. The team improved its RPI ranking to a conference best No. 27 and went from last place in conference to finishing second in the regular season. On the night, BYU shot 46.7 percent on 21-of-45 shooting with senior Rafael Araujo scoring a team-high 13 points and pulling down eight rebounds. Both junior Mike Hall and senior Luiz Lemes contributed nine points for BYU to round out the top three Cougars scorers. The Cougars put up 20 points in the first half. It was their second-lowest point total in a half on the season after a 19-point performance at the Air Force Academy back on Jan. 24. "We could never find our rhythm," said senior guard Mark Bigelow, "We weren't aggressive and nobody could hit a shot. If you score 20 points in the first half you are going to be in trouble in any game." The first half turned into a defensive battle with both teams struggling from the field. BYU went a combined 8-for-23 for 20 points while Utah was 9-of-26 for 26 points over the first 20 minutes. Utah struck first in the half, connecting on back-to-back threes before Hall knocked down a trey of his own at the 17:17 mark. The Cougars' Woodberry tied up the ball game at 12 apiece with a three point shot of his own but the tie didn't last long as the Utes went on a 7-2 run over the next six minutes to pull ahead 19-14 with 4:21 to go before the break. With 2:32 left in the half, Araujo was fouled by the Utes' Andrew Bogut but a questionable elbow to Bogut's head landed Araujo his first foul of the game in the form of a technical. Utah's Nick Jacobson made good on one of his two technical free throws to make it a 20-16 game. In the final minute of the half it was senior Jake Shoff that brought BYU to within six at 26-20 going into the break by connecting on two free throws and a tip-in with two seconds to go. Coming out of the break, the Utes pushed their lead to 10 at 39-29, their largest lead of the game. But BYU didn't lay down and the Cougars came roaring back with a 10-2 run, capped by a break-away layup by Hall at the 6:27 mark to tie up the game at 43 all. The Cougars kept a hold of the Utes through the remainder of regulation, allowing the Utes to get up by no more than four points the rest of the way. With time winding down and BYU trailing 52-48, Araujo stepped up and knocked down a three-pointer from the left side with 39 seconds to play, bringing the Cougars to within one at 52-51. But with 7.7 seconds on the clock and four seconds on the shot clock, Cougar guard Kevin Woodberry was called for a foul. The foul reset the shot clock and Araujo picked up his fifth foul trying to stop the clock on the inbound play. The Utes went on to win the barnburner 54-51 as Hall's last-second three-point attempt just fell short of the hole and bounced off the front of the rim as time ran out.

WHAT BYU COACH STEVE CLEVELAND HAD TO SAY AFTER THE GAME ...

"It wasn't our best offensive game but we found our offense in the second half. We found the flow (in the second half) and put ourselves in a position to win but it came down to the end and we lost. We've won games in the last few seconds but tonight it didn't happen. We've had the ball bounce our way many times in the last six week -- just not tonight. In my 27 years of coaching I have never seen a team as focused as this one, to come from last to second and win nine games in a row. It's hard to know what the committee is thinking, I know that our credentials are solid in every area. If you compare our criteria with other teams in the West, we are right at the top. This team has done everything it can do to get a berth."

COUGARS AGAINST THE UTES

Of the 16 players on BYU's roster this year, only seven have ever played in a BYU-Utah game. Listed below are the Cougar players who have played in the rivalry game.

Player GP/GS Avg. Min. Avg. Pts. Avg Rebs.

Jared Jensen 6/3 11.5 4.5 2.3

Terry Nashif 6/1 6.3 0.0 0.5

Mike Hall 3/3 36.0 12.7 2.3

Garner Meads 3/3 19.3 4.7 3.3

Jimmy Balderson 2/0 12.5 3.5 1.5

Mike Rose 2/0 3.5 1.5 0.5

Derek Dawes 1/0 15.0 3.0 1.0

BYU's LAST OUTING - Dawes Leads BYU to First MWC Victory

PROVO -- A career night for sophomore center Derek Dawes sparked BYU to a 68-53 win over New Mexico Monday at the Marriott Center, the Cougars' first Mountain West Conference victory of the season. The win improved BYU's record to 7-13 overall and 1-4 in the MWC while the Lobos dropped to 14-5 and 1-3. Dawes set career-highs in points and blocks with 14 and five while he tied a career-high with 10 rebounds. It was also his first career double-double. Sophomore forward Keena Young tied his career-high with 14 points and added seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Mike Rose led all scorers with 21 points while senior guard Mike Hall added 16. Sophomore guard Austin Ainge also tied his career-high with eight assists. BYU Coach Steve Cleveland said he is playing the younger players in preparation for the future. "We're preparing next year's team in the process," Cleveland said. "We've got some guys who haven't played a lot. Dawes is our future, but he just needs playing time." Alfred Neale was the high scorer for New Mexico with 12 points, the only Lobo in double figures. Mark Walters was second on the team with nine points. Neale was also the top Lobo on the glass, collecting six boards. For the game, BYU shot 44.8 percent (26-58) and limited the Lobos to 32.7 percent (18-55) shooting. The Cougars scored 17 points on 11 New Mexico turnovers and won the battle of the boards, 40-34. The Lobos took their only lead of the night when Troy DeVries hit a three pointer for the game's opening basket. After Dawes hit the Cougars' first basket, Young scored to give BYU the lead for good. Dawes was strong throughout the first period, scoring eight points, grabbing six rebounds and blocking two shots. He hit two free throws to give BYU its biggest lead of the half at 24-16. The Lobos cut into the Cougar lead as Neale ran off five consecutive points to cut the lead to 24-22. But BYU would not allow the Lobos to get any closer as the Cougars ended the half on a 9-3 run to go into the locker room up 33-25. Rose capped the run with a three-pointer in the waning seconds of the first frame. Young was the high man of the half, finishing with 11 points and four rebounds. Rose and Hall each contributed seven while Ainge dished out four assists. As New Mexico came out cold to start the second period, missing its first five shots, BYU kept pushing. Dawes kept the Cougar run alive with a dunk on the opening possession, and Ainge connected with Hall on a fast break layup moments later to extend the advantage to 12 at 37-25. Another layup by Dawes pushed the BYU lead to 14. With a 16-point cushion at 42-26, the Cougars opened the door for the Lobos to make a run. New Mexico took advantage, scoring 12 straight points to get back into the game at 42-38. However, Rose kept New Mexico at bay, connecting from beyond the arc to spark a 13-4 BYU run and adding back-to-back treys to put the Cougars up 55-42. The lead was enough for BYU to coast to the 68-53 win. Cleveland said he is pleased with the effort his team has given recently and knows his players will continue to improve. "The effort has been there the last two games but the execution needs to improve," Cleveland said. "This group of guys is a special group of people. They found a way to win and they'll do it again."

STREET & SMITH'S NAMES BYU THE No.36 BASKETBALL PROGRAM ALL-TIME

The BYU men's basketball program has been named one of the nation's all-time greatest basketball programs. Street & Smith's has produced a publication (released Jan. 25) recognizing the "100 Greatest College Basketball Programs of All Time," ranking BYU No. 36 on its list. Kentucky is named the No. 1 basketball program, with UCLA, North Carolina, Kansas and Duke completing the top five. Indiana, Louisville, Arkansas, UConn and Cincinnati round out the top 10. Street & Smith's graded each program's basketball history on the basis of NCAA Tournament success, NIT success, national championships, conference regular-season and tournament titles, all-time win-loss percentage, graduation rate, NCAA infractions, NBA first-round draft picks and mascot ferocity. Five Mountain West Conference teams made the list with Utah ranked 11th, UNLV 28th, BYU 36th, Wyoming 42nd and New Mexico 98th. Other in-state schools recognized include Weber State at No. 51 and Utah State at No. 82. Since BYU's first season in 1903, Cougar fans have cheered BYU to 82 winning seasons, 26 conference titles, 21 NCAA invites and 2 NIT titles, while Cougar players have earned 40 All-America and 96 all-conference citations, 43 NBA Draft selections and one National Player of the Year award. BYU entered the season No. 19 all-time in total victories and No. 36 in winning percentage.

DAWES COMING OFF CAREER NIGHT

Making his fifth start of the year, sophomore center Derek Dawes set career bests of 14 points, 6-of-7 (.857) shooting, and 4 blocks while tying career marks of 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in BYU's win over New Mexico. Dawes made his steal after his only miss of the game to regain a Cougar possession. The 14-point, 10-rebound double-double was the first of his career.

YOUNG MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF

Keena Young has tied a career-high 14 points in each of the last two games. He also scored 14 points against Chaminade and Weber State this year. He recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds vs. Air Force. Over the last three games, he has not missed more than two shots in a game while making a combined 18-of-24 (.750) from the floor. He has reached double-digit scoring in each of the last three games, averaging 12.7 points and 7.7 rebounds over that span. The transfer has made 10 starts thus far in his first season at Brigham Young. The 6-foot-6 Texan has several different name connections to BYU. Aside from his last name of Young, Keena's father is named Cleveland, also the name of BYU head basketball coach Steve Cleveland, and Keena's mother is named Lavella, which is similar to BYU's legendary football coach LaVell Edwards.

AINGE PROVING POINT

Point guard Austin Ainge is one of BYU's young players taking advantage of his opportunity for playing time this season. He has earned the starting position, making the last 12 straight starts. He scored a career-high 25 points at CSU. He had a career-high 7 rebounds vs. Santa Clara and a career-most 8 assists vs. NC State, MSU-Billings and New Mexico. Overall, he is tied for third on the team in scoring at 9.1 ppg and leads the team in assists at 4.1 apg and steals (1.4 spg).

JENSEN SHOOTS HIGH PERCENTAGE

With sophomore Derek Dawes playing well against New Mexico, senior center Jared Jensen did not play for the first time in his career due to a coach's decision. Jensen's absence, however, is not expected to be long-lasting as the senior has made 39 of his last 60 field goal attempts (.650) and has made 26 of his last 27 free throws. On the season Jensen leads the team in both categories, shooting .574 (8th in MWC) and .875 from the line (No. 1 in MWC and 29th nationally).

JENSEN MORE AGGRESSIVE ON THE BOARDS

Jared Jensen's 10 rebounds at CSU tied his career high. In the first 12 games, Jensen averaged 3.2 rebounds but over the last seven games he has played he is averaging 6.1 rebounds.

LINEUPS

BYU has used 15 different lineups. The post combination of Derek Dawes and Keena Young used against New Mexico was the sixth different 4-5 combination used this season.

FREE THROW RECORDS SET THIS SEASON

The Cougars set a school record by making 33 consecutive free throws until finally misfiring against San Diego State. BYU set a single-game record to start the streak by making 24 straight free throws against Santa Clara on Dec. 31. The 33 straight free throws spanned three games. No. 1 in the MWC, BYU is ranked No. 19 nationally in among NCAA statistical leaders.

SHOOTING PERCENTAGE/WINNING PERCENTAGE

BYU is 7-1 when outshooting its opponent and 0-12 when the opponent has the better percentage. After shooting below 40 percent in six of its first 10 games while posting a 2-8 record, BYU has topped 40 percent shooting in seven of the last 10 games, making over 50 percent in four games, while going 5-5. BYU has shot at least 49 percent from the floor in six of its seven wins, with its last victory over New Mexico (BYU made 44.8 percent ) the exception. BYU has not lost when making 49 percent of its shots. The Cougars made a season-high 60 percent from the floor at Weber State.

CURRENT BYU WIN/LOSS STREAKS ...

At home 1-0

On the road 0-3

On a neutral floor 0-1

At home vs. Nonconference 3-0

At home vs. MWC 1-0

On the road vs. Nonconference 0-2

On the road vs. MWC 0-2

On a neutral floor vs. Nonconference 0-1

On a neutral floor vs. MWC 0-1

at regular season tournament 1-0

at MWC Tournament 0-1

at NCAA Tournament 0-5

at NIT 0-1