BYU vs. Utah Notes and Quotes

Player Notes

Haws finished as the game's leading scorer with 23 points and added 8 rebounds, an assist and a steal. Haws' three 3-pointers moved him past Terrell Lyday and Nick Sanderson on the career 3-pointers made list. Haws is now 9th in BYU history with 130 3-pointers made. It was his 5th straight 20-point game and the 57th of his career. He scored in double figures for the 58th straight game and 98th of his career. His consecutive free throw streak ended at 24 straight.

Kyle Collinsworth

Collinsworth totaled 17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, a block and a steal. It was his fourth straight game in double figures. His steal moved him into a tie with Randy Reid at 13th on the career steals list with 118.

Chase Fischer

Fischer finished with 3 points coming on a 3-pointer in the second half. Fischer played the final 7 minutes of the second half with four fouls.

Luke Worthington

Worthington finished with 2 points, 2 rebounds, an assist and a steal.

Anson Winder

Winder hit two big 3-pointers with under 5 minutes left in the second half on his way to 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. It was his 8th straight game in double figures.

Skyler Halford

Halford ended the game with 3 steals, 2 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.

Corbin Kaufusi

Kaufusi played a season-high 18 minutes on his way to 2 points, a steal and a rebound.

Josh Sharp

Sharp came off the bench in the first minute of the game to replace Nate Austin. Sharp played in his 100th game as a Cougar and recorded a block.

Frank Bartley IV

Bartley finished with 2 points and a rebound in 10 minutes on the floor.

Team Notes

Collinsworth, Fischer, Haws, Austin and Worthington started for the Cougars for the third straight game. BYU is 5-3 with this starting group.

Collinsworth, Haws, Fischer, Bartley and Kaufusi started the second half.

Haws, Collinsworth and Winder each scored in double figures. Collinsworth led the team in rebounds with 9 and assists with 5.

Neither team hit a 3-pointer until Collinsworth hit a corner 3 with 2:09 left in the first half The teams went a combined 0-12 before the make. BYU finished 7 of 20 for 35 percent, while Utah was 2 of 14.

The loss broke BYU's 15-game home win streak and 6-game nonconference home win streak.

Runs

The Cougars went on a 6-0 run to get it to within 24-17 with 8 minutes left in first half. Winder Halford and Kaufusi each scored two points during the run.

BYU used a six-minute, 14-0 run to take a 31-28 lead which would give the Cougars a lead at the half. Collinsworth put in two dunks, a 3-pointer and 8 total points, while Haws scored 6 points on two 3-pointers in the final two minues.

Winder scored 8-straight points for BYU from the five-minute mark until Collinsworth hit a jumper with 1:14 left to bring the Utah lead down to three at 62-59.

Quotes

BYU head coach Dave Rose

"Congratulations to Larry, his staff and their team. I thought it was a hard fought game, two teams battling each other. The one thing that you know from this game is that both teams were really competing and had their runs."

"We tried to make a run back and finish it at the end, but came up a little short. It was a great atmosphere, great fans, and I thought it was a great competitive college basketball game. They made a few more plays than we did."

On Anson Winder:

"I thought that he really brought us a lot of energy. The plays that he made were the ones we're used to. We almost got it done, but we weren't really able to secure enough of those plays. That was really the advantage we thought we had, we thought we could turn them over a little bit and run down some shots."

On Utah:

"[Utah is] a team that's really balanced. It seems like when they sub, they're subbing a big guy for a big guy, or a long athletic guy for another long athletic guy. They're pretty consistent all night long with the looks they give you."

"Tonight, we got really scattered. We were shooting quick shots, not shots that we were looking for, but shots that were available. A lot of that had to do with them taking us out of our sets, because we're a pretty systematic team. We need to do a better job."

On Nate Austin:

"Nate was stretching at the tip and felt his hamstring pop. He asked to come out right before tip, so he played the first possession with his hamstring. We'll have to see with an MRI and see what happens. That changed a couple days of preparation with our game plan."

On being a balanced team:

"I think we're really close. I think Utah is a really good basketball team, and it's really discouraging to your guys because you want to win every game you play, but hopefully we can get in here tomorrow and learn from it and get better."

Tyler Haws

"We just didn't make buckets. They slowed the game down and kind of took the air out the ball a little bit. We just didn't make shots when we needed to. I need to give all the credit in the world to them. They're a good team. They're good at what they do."

Utah's offense:

"They just suck the air out of the ball. They hold it up top, then they drive hard and make good decisions. They hit free throws in the second half and hit some big threes. We just couldn't match it."

A physical game:

"It's always physical and we knew the challenge coming in. It was physical for 40 minutes. Every time that ball went up, it was a fight on the boards. I thought we gave ourselves lots of chances to keep us in the game, but we couldn't get there."

On close games:

"It hurts. They're tough losses. Hopefully we can learn from them and get better from them because there are going to be more games like this. We have to stick together and keep fighting. That's all we can do. It's a long season.

Only taking three free throws:

"I could've done some things different to get there more, but I feel like I was getting the shots I wanted. In the first half I got in a rhythm, but maybe that's something going forward I need to do to be a little more aggressive."

Corbin Kaufusi

A physical game:

"I think it was definitely the most physical game we've played (this season) with the rivalry, the energy, everyone on a different level. We fought and they fought."

Utah's rebounding:

"They did a good job at being scrappy and one guy flying in to get the rebound when the other guy couldn't."

Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak

Winning close games:

"I’m pleased with our young kids and their ability to focus. I think some of our veteran leadership down the stretch probably saved us. We just need to make some plays. Everybody wants to know how we’re winning some close games. Sometimes it’s a little bit of luck. Sometimes it’s a little bit of maturity with some guys being back for another year. Either way we go, we’re thrilled to be where we are."

The rivalry:

"It’s a strong rivalry, there’s no doubt about it. I don’t know how you would say it’s getting any stronger; in my mind it’s always pretty much maxed out, as witnessed by the number of fans in here."

"It’s an unbelievable basketball state. There’s really good basketball at all levels. Games like this, there’s some magnitude to it. It makes for a pretty special night. To me, it’s pretty much maxed out."

Running his offense:

"It’s a little bit more difficult when the offense is at the other end. That’s where we’re asking some of our back court, some of our guys [to] have some leadership. The coaches, we’re not out there calling plays, and a lot of times it doesn’t matter what it is we’re running as long as all five guys know what it is. The problem is we don’t always get that kind of forceful leadership, where somebody puts the ball under their arm and says, ‘This is what we’re doing,’ and pointing guys around. Hopefully we’ll get better at that. We haven’t had the success away at San Diego State and here at BYU in both of those first halves, it’s been a little bit of a struggle."

Haws' night:

"[Haws] banked one in in the first half. He hit a really tough shot in front of our bench. We have hands up and he’s making those kind of shots. Whenever you’re dealing with one of the top scorers in the country, it’s an awful lot of fire power. The thing for us, I think, is you send some different guys at him and it’s a little bit of body punches and he has to earn everything he gets and maybe at the end, some of that pays off and his shots come up short. That’s what you hope for, but you don’t expect it. He’s a terrific player. We managed to take away some of his good looks."

Atmosphere:

"[Being part of this game] was fantastic. It was a great feeling. This rivalry means a lot to a lot of people, and we didn't have the kind of representation in this building, obviously, that we would like to have. To come in on the road, it's been about 10 years since the Utes have won here, and it means a lot. It's fun to be a part of."