BYU to host No. 2/2 Gonzaga on Thursday

Game notes: BYU vs. Gonzaga

BYU will host No. 2/2 Gonzaga on Thursday at 9 p.m. MST in the Marriott Center in a West Coast Conference matchup. The game will be televised on ESPN2 and broadcast on KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM and 1160 AM.

BYU Cougars (20-9, 9-5 WCC)

• Head Coach: Dave Rose
• Alma Mater: Houston, 1983
• Division I Career Record: 205-63 (8th)
• Record at BYU: Same

Gonzaga (27-2, 14-0 WCC)

• Head Coach: Mark Few
• Alma Mater: Oregon, 1987
• Division I Career Record: 369-92 (14th)
• Record at Gonzaga: Same

Player and team notes

• Ranked No. 2 in the AP and Coaches Polls, Gonzaga enters Thursday’s game as the highest ranked opponent BYU has played in the Marriott Center and tied for the highest ranked team the Cougars have played in Provo. BYU is 4-8 all-time against Top 5 teams in Provo, including 1-2 in the Marriott Center.
• BYU won its 20th game with a 70-68 victory against Utah State, giving the Cougars eight-straight 20-win seasons, the longest such streak in program history. All eight seasons have come under Dave Rose, a program record for 20-win seasons by one coach. Stan Watts had seven 20-win seasons.
• Dave Rose earned his 200th career victory with a 74-57 win over San Diego on Jan. 19, 2013. Stan Watts is the only other coach in BYU history with 200-plus wins. Watts won his 200th game during his 12th season at the helm on Feb. 2, 1961, at New Mexico. It was his 329th career game (Watts’ career record was 371-254 in 23 seasons). Rose is in his eighth season and earned win number 200 in his 259th game.
• Tyler Haws reached 1,000 career points when he hit a jumper at the 15:30 mark in the second half at Saint Mary’s. He joins Danny Ainge as the only BYU players to reach 1,000 career points as sophomores. Haws has 1,003 points and is the 45th Cougar to reach the milestone.
• Brandon Davies has stepped up his play of late, averaging 18.1 points, 8.4 boards and 1.4 steals and shooting .547 over the last seven games. He’s had four 20-plus point games and four double-doubles during that time.
• BYU has completed four comebacks after trailing at the half this season. The Cougars trailed Utah and San Francisco by nine at the half and won 61-58 and 80-76. BYU trailed Pepperdine by five at the half at home and came back to win 76-51. The Cougars trailed at Pepperdine 31-20 but bounced back in the second half to win 63-61.
• BYU has been a better shooting team in league games than nonconference games. The Cougars are shooting better from the field (.481 in WCC play to .445 in nonconference games) and from three (.368 to .306).
• The Cougars are on pace to break team records in steals in a season and steals per game for a season. BYU has 258 steals in 29 games, good for 8.9 per game. The current records of 307 steals and 8.5 steals per game were set during the 2009-10 season.
• Tyler Haws has shot 100 percent from the line while attempting at least 10 free throws in three games this season, tied with Russell Larson (1993-94) and Ken Roberts (1994-95) for most perfect days from the line (minimum of 10 attempts). Haws has four such games in his career, tied for the most in BYU history with Jimmer Fredette. Danny Ainge, Lee Cummard, Larson and Roberts are tied for second on the career list with three.