BYU vs. Coastal Carolina Postgame Notes

BYU vs. Coastal Carolina Game Recap

BYU vs. Coastal Carolina Facebook Photo Gallery

BYU vs. Coastal Carolina Box Score

PLAYER NOTES

Eric Mika
After being held without a basket for most of the first half, the sophomore made his first field goal with 2:52 left in the first half. He scored seven of the Cougars’ last nine points heading into halftime. Out of the break, he shot 5 of 5 for five of BYU’s first seven field goals.

On the night, Mika notched his second double-double of the season, seventh of his career, with 19 points and 11 rebounds. He also tied his career high in blocks with three.

Nick Emery
Emery led the team in scoring heading into the half with 10 points. He was the first player to reach double figures in the game. He finished the game with 14 points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal.

L.J. Rose
The senior captain notched a season-high nine assists in the win. He also hit a personal best in points at BYU with nine. He added six rebounds, one block and a steal in the winning effort.

TJ Haws
Haws reached a career-best five assists tonight, surpassing his previous high of one. Additionally, he scored eight points, including one 3-pointer.

TEAM NOTES

Starting lineup
For the third game in a row, head coach Dave Rose started L.J. Rose, TJ Haws, Nick Emery, Kyle Davis and Eric Mika.

Scoring first
BYU has scored first in all three of its games so far this season. In both the Princeton game and tonight’s game, Nick Emery hit a trey for the first points of the game. Eric Mika hit a jumper for the first bucket against Coppin State.

Get ahead, stay ahead
The Cougars never trailed in the game. Coastal Carolina got within two with 12 minutes until the break, but a layup from Kyle Davis pushed the lead back up to four. BYU went on a 22-10 run in the last 10 minutes to close out the half, up 40-25. In the second half, the lead never went under double digits. BYU started the second half 10 of 12 from the field in the first nine minutes.

Big men
The three BYU big men, Eric Mika, Kyle Davis and Yoeli Childs, combined for 16 rebounds, 18 points and three blocks in the first half. The three finished with a combined 31 points, 20 boards and five blocks.

Season highs
As a team, the Cougars had a season-high six blocks. BYU had five blocks in each of the first two games. The Cougars also had a season-high 24 assists in the win, surpassing the previous high of 20 against Coppin State.

QUOTES

BYU head coach Dave Rose
On tonight's win
I thought it was a really good test for us tonight. I thought that defensively, especially in the first half, we really came together as a group compared to the past two nights. The first half wasn't our best, but I thought that we did a good job of contesting shots and keeping guys in front of us. Our post defense was pretty solid. 

I thought KD (Kyle Davis) came in and was really active on both ends of the floor and gave us a really good lift and then Eric started slow but then got rolling and had eight rebounds in the first half, which is a big number, then he really started scoring for us in the second half. 

All in all, we got to play three or four different groups for extended minutes and it will be interesting to see how this team develops. I'm happy for the win and I look forward to getting to Vegas and playing the next two games. 

On the team developing together 
I thought that this team was more traditional defensively. I think our guys handled it well, and I also believe that every game we get a little bit better and we get a little more used to each other. It's a new group of guys playing together, trying to figure out each other and I think with Elijah (Bryant) and his challenges coming back from his injury and L.J. not playing a lot the past year and a half because of injury, TJ coming off his mission, Eric coming off his mission, there's a lot of time that guys just need on the floor. Yoeli just need minutes where he can just play with different combinations of guys. 

You know, another guy that I thought came and gave us good minutes tonight was Jamal (Aytes), just good solid minutes, maybe eight or nine tonight. He played good defense, though he's not as explosive as he used to be, but he takes up space and we need to get him moving guys around a little more on rebounds because he got pushed around a little. But I kind of like the way that this team is developing, but we're going to get a whole different set of opponents down in Vegas in terms of resistance and we'll see how we do. 

On L.J.'s performance
You just watch him play and you can tell that he's a pass-first guard that has good offensive skills. I think that the more he plays the more comfortable he's going to feel. We saw a couple re-posts that we haven't seen for years, where the ball came in and the post guy didn't have what he wanted and threw it back out and L.J. threw it right back in and the guy re-posted two or three feet deeper and it went right to a score or a foul. Those are smart guys. That's a guy who understands space and positioning, size and strength and advantage. I think that experience is so good for the other guys. 

On facing St. Louis
I'm really looking forward to this game on Monday. They're big and strong and Travis Ford is a guy who runs a lot of stuff, and we'll see a lot of things that we're going to have to prepare for defensively. It’s a quick turnaround for us without a practice day in between, but we'll see how this team responds. 

Senior L.J. Rose
On his performance
We just wanted to win. Whatever it takes to win. Guys make shots and it helps me out. Losing yourself on the defensive end is something that coach Rose and coach Lewis have been pushing since day one and everything else takes care of itself.

On the pace of the game
We did have them on their heels, but we always can push it harder. I think we did a great job of attacking. They were in foul trouble early, and we were in the bonus early in the first half, and that is something that we pride ourselves on.

On having fun
It is a lot of fun because I haven’t played in a while. To be able to play with guys like Eric, Yoeli, Nick, Eli, TJ, our whole team; it is a lot of fun. You can see a lot of emotion on the court from the guys and the team. Everybody is here for each other, and we want the best for each other.

Sophomore Eric Mika
On Coastal Carolina and competing against them
Coach has said right from the beginning of this Thursday/Saturday deal that this Coastal Carolina team is big, they are physical, they are a well-coached and well-rounded team. They definitely came out and gave us resistance. I thought they were a really good team, and so you could say they gave me pretty much exactly what I expected. I thought the guys did a great job of staying together, coming out. Our defense was key in the first half, and we were able to make a little run.

On mindset in the second half
I don’t think anything change, but I was just able to get my head in it. I wasn’t making shots, some calls weren’t going my way, but the guys had faith in my and kept giving me the ball and the opportunities were there, so I was just trying to keep going, not slow up on my aggressiveness just because shots weren’t falling in the first half.

On lack of preparation for St. Louis on Monday
It’ll be a little bit weird. It’ll definitely be a new experience for a lot of guys. But we did the same thing with Princeton. We had a little bit more time coming into the season we knew who we were playing first, and we were able to have a little bit more time to prepare for them, but we didn’t practice on Sunday. We were able to get up early on Monday and get our legs under us, get a good stretch and fun and breakfast. So, you know, I think without playing and practicing on Sunday, at this point, our coaches know how to get us right and ready for the game.

On what he loves about how L.J. plays and connects during the game
What our team love about L.J. is how he plays at his own pace. He is playing at the pace of our system, but it is like he is in his own little world—he can control the game without having to force shots or force passes. He is constantly looking for guys and, for a big man, that is everything you hope for. We make eye contact and I know I am getting the ball and that is pretty cool. If we can trust each other and know that we are looking out to get the best shot—not just for us but for the team—then we are going to get a lot of wins. 

Coastal Carolina head coach Cliff Ellis
On preparation coming into the game
We didn’t have a lot of time to prepare, with regards to playing just the other night and then traveling out here to the west to play BYU. But, we knew that this was a very good team. And then they've got Emery and Haws. I mean, they’ve got weapons inside and out. Our preparation was to not let them get going. We wanted to touch the paint, get shots—I didn’t think we did that in the first half the way we needed to—but you have to give credit to BYU.

On 76 shot attempts; BYU defense
The reason there are a lot of shots is because it is an up-tempo game. When you are playing a fast-tempo, there is going to be more shots.

Game plan to contain Mika
We wanted to get him off the block. He is a load inside and we didn’t do a good enough job, but that is what we tried to do.

On their experience at the Marriott Center
It is a great atmosphere. Hats off to the fans—they are great fans, and they cheer their team. There is a lot of tradition here. This thing goes way back a long time, so there is a lot of pride here, and it showed out there tonight.