BYU vs. Pepperdine Notes & Quotes

BYU vs. Pepperdine Game Story

BYU vs. Pepperdine Box Score

BYU vs. Pepperdine Photo Gallery

Player Notes

• Kyle Collinsworth recorded this ninth double-double of the season with 24 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds and a steal. It was the sixth time this season he has scored 20 or more points and he tied his career high in made field goals with 10. The double-double was the 31st of his career, passing Steve Trumbo and tying Bruce Burton for the fourth most in BYU history.
• Collinsworth’s four rebounds broke Michael Smith’s (922) career rebound mark at BYU. Collinsworth now has 923 career rebounds to set the all-time mark. 
• Collinsworth became the first Cougar to break 600 assists for his career. It was also his 15th career 10-assist game, also the most in BYU history and his seventh of the season, tied for the second most in a season. His season total is also now the fourth most in a season. He also tied Michael Smith and Devin Durrant with 117 career games started, which is the eighth most by a Cougar.
• Nick Emery finished with 17 points, 5 steals, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. It was the seventh time in BYU history a freshman has made five steals in a game and just the fifth to do so (Mark Bigelow, Shawn Bradley, Nathan Call and Danny Ainge). It was also Emery’s career high in steals.
• Emery has hit a 3-pointer in 20 consecutive games which is the fourth longest streak in BYU history. His double figure scoring game was his 19th of the season, tying Devin Durrant for the eighth most by a freshman. Emery extended his freshman 3-point record and now has 56 3-pointers.
• Nate Austin fouled out with 4:16 left in the game. He finished with 3 rebounds and an assist and now has 399 career fouls, good for third most in BYU history.
• Kyle Davis finished with 11 points, 8 rebounds and a steal. It was his second straight game in double figures and 21st of the season.
• Chase Fischer finished with 15 points, 3 rebounds and an assist.
• Jakob Hartsock set career highs in points and 3-pointers made with his 9 points on three 3-pointers. He has made a 3-pointer in each of his past three games and is the third true freshman this season to hit three 3-pointers in a game. He added 4 rebounds and a steal.
• Corbin Kaufusi totaled 10 points, 6 boards and a steal. It was his second straight game in double figures.

Team Notes

• The Cougars are 7-3 in the WCC and in third place behind Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s.
• BYU finishes the month of January 7-2.
• BYU snapped a three-game losing streak to Pepperdine. The Cougars’ last win was an 84-72 win at home on Jan. 9, 2014.
• The Cougars extended their 16-game home win streak and nine-game conference win streak. BYU is 10-0 at home this season.
• For the 11th consecutive game, BYU started Fischer (23 season/56 careers starts), Emery (18/18), Collinsworth (23/117), Davis (23/23) and Austin (12/65). BYU is 9-3 with that starting five.
• A 9-0 run gave BYU its first lead of the game and stretched it to 21-17 with 12 minutes left in the first half. Kaufusi started it with a dunk and added four free throws along with an Emery 3-pointer in transition.
• BYU made nine straight field goals after missing their first three of the game. The run stretched more than eight minutes and saw BYU go from down six to up five.
• Two 6-0 runs as part of a 12-5 stretch helped push BYU’s lead to double digits with three minutes left in the first half. The Cougars led by 13 at 48-35 with 3:05 left in the first half. Davis, Chatman, Emery and Fischer scored for the Cougars over the four-minute stretch
• BYU went on a 13-2 run after Pepperdine got within two at 58-56. Emery and Collinsworth scored four points, while Kaufusi added three and Fischer two. The Cougars led by 13 at 71-58 at the under-12 media timeout.
• The Cougars shot better from the field (64 percent) and 3-point range (63 percent) than they did from the free-throw line (60 percent) in the first half. This is the fourth time this season BYU has been better in the run of play than from the charity stripe during a half. All four have occurred in the first half of games.
• Three freshmen have hit at least three 3-pointers in a game during a season (Emery, Seljaas and Hartsock) for the first time since 2011-12 and the second time in program history. Matt Carlino, Anson Winder and Damarcus Harrison all had a game with at least three 3-pointers in 2011-12. This is the first time three true freshmen accomplished the feat.

Quotes

BYU head coach Dave Rose

“I thought it was a really hard fought game. Two teams that were kind of desperate for a win. I think we were fortunate to turn around last Saturday night and get on the good end and make a few more plays. It’s a good matchup. I thought that our team responded really well to the things we needed to do better.”

“Rebounding is such a big factor getting the ball from one end to the other. I think defensively we got our hands on balls which allowed us to get out in transition.”

“Guys made plays. Nick made a couple plays where he got his hands on balls and got out and make an easy basket. I think it’s how you win. Guys have got to execute a game plan. When it comes down to big possessions, you have got to come up with them. It’s a good win, a really good win for us.”

Kyle Collinsworth

What makes you guys such a good home team?

“We usually make shots a little bit more, our pace is a little better at home. Tonight we didn’t win the rebounding game, we tied it. That was good, they usually dominate us so that was a big factor. They usually dominate the boards. Not really sure why, but we seem to have a little more juice obviously due to the crowd cheering for us. More pace to us, more juice.”

Different tonight other than a week ago:

“Rebounding. Pretty sure we lost the rebound battle (last week). Rebounding was huge. We got stops down the stretch when we needed to. We got a lot of stops in a row. We came up with some big plays. Chase scored with six minutes left in the game. He hit a three and a layup—some big points for us. We just made play when we need to and at their place we didn’t so that was the difference.”

“Every game is the championship game for us. That’s where we are at right now. We have to play hard like it’s the championship game. We had that mindset the whole night and that’s why we made those plays.”

New Record:

“Its surreal. I remember my freshman year I got put in and started at the four. I started rebounding like crazy. Every game I was rebounding like crazy. I had a couple 15-point games. I rebounded great in high school too, I’ve just always done that. It’s remarkable to see it add up. It’s surreal. It’s a great accomplishment. It’s just how I play. I’m the best point guard rebounder in the country and it’s just how I’ve always played. No one’s going to rebound better than me from my position. I try to do that day in and day out for my team.”

Jakob Hartsock

“Coach has always said he has confidence in all his players when he puts them out there. He always tells us to play with confidence, play as a team. I think confidence is the biggest issue here. As long as we have confidence and we play as a team, that’s when we’re best. I’m just grateful for the chance I got to play and the confidence coach had in me.”

Pepperdine head coach Marty Wilson

"Part of (the reason they won) is they're at home. They're more comfortable at home. I thought they shot the ball well in the first half. They shot over 60 percent (in the first half), which is unusual for our defense. They hit six 3-pointers, and our goal every game is to allow no more than six threes for an entire game. I thought we turned the ball over too much in the second half."

Turnovers:

"That was the difference in the game in my eyes, especially in the second half. We cut the lead to two, then we turn the ball over to give them a layup. We cut the lead to two again, and then we had another turnover that led to a layup. Then they got going again to where they felt comfortable."

Collinsworth:

"I'll tell you what, Kyle Collinsworth, I'm glad he's gone after this year. I don't want to see him again. But he's a great player and a very good person. I got to know him years ago when I was here, so I'm excited about what he's done here at BYU."

Quotes