BYU vs. Gonzaga Postgame Notes

BYU vs. Gonzaga Game Story

BYU vs. Gonzaga Box Score

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PLAYER NOTES

Elijah Bryant made his first start as a Cougar. He also had double-digit scoring for the seventh time this season with 12 points and a career-high five assists.

With 15 points, Eric Mika reached double figures in scoring for the 25th-straight game. He also added 11 rebounds for his 14th double-double this season.

TJ Haws had 29 points for his career high at BYU and has now scored 10-plus points in 17 games this season.

Yoeli Childs had 11 points to get to double figures for the second-straight game and eighth time this season.

Nick Emery had his BYU-best streak of at least one 3-pointer in 32-straight games snapped.

TEAM NOTES

The matchup between BYU and Gonzaga marked the first time the Cougars hosted the No. 1 team in the country.

BYU had its first sellout of the season, with 18,987 in attendance.

QUOTES

TJ Haws

On how BYU responded to Gonzaga's runs:

"Coach talked about competing on every possession all week. I'm proud of how we kept coming back when we got down. This team is getting better every single game. We showed tonight that we can compete with anyone."

On how the offense was better in the second half:

"I think in the first half we got a lot of great looks that just didn't fall for us. We executed a little better in the second half and started to get some shots to go in."

Elijah Bryant

On whether it feels different to play the No. 1 team:

"We try to just play our game like we do all the time. There were maybe some jitters early on, but then we started to play like we do."

On when he found out he would get the start:

"Right before the game. I try to just have the same mentality, whether I'm starting or coming off the bench."

BYU Coach Dave Rose

"That's a good team. I think our guys competed hard. Our execution needs to be way better to beat a team like that."

"It was a hard-fought game. In the first half Gonzaga had us spread out pretty good. We were concerned about their big guys, and they spread it out and hit 6 of their first 10 3s. In the second half we did a better job of contesting on 3-point shots."

On the big game from Gonzaga's Williams-Goss:

"He kind of just controlled the game. Every time we made a run, he had an answer. It's just really hard to get him sped up or take him out of his game. He spaced us out and finished almost every time he went up with it."

On BYU fighting to stay in the game:

"They competed. Especially when they weren't individually playing their best at times. No matter how discouraged they got, they continued to compete and play hard. That's a good sign, especially for a young team. I'm glad we got it close in the second half because it looked in the first half like it might get away from us."

Gonzaga Coach Mark Few

On playing in a big road game at the Marriott Center:

"I thought we responded pretty well. This place when it's like this, and it's always like this for us which makes it so special, - there aren't many places - maybe Allen Fieldhouse - I'd lilke to think our place is like it but with not as many people. But to come in like this and get a win and to do it against a BYU team that's coached by Dave Rose- his guys play so stinking hard- I can't tell you how much respect I have for how hard his guys play and how confident they play, they have no quit in them. We knew no lead was safe in the first half and even in the second half we knew. They just kept coming back and coming back and that's a credit to Dave and what a great competitor he is and what a great job he does. 

On Coach Rose seeking his 300th win:

"It shows you how good he is. He has this team year in and year out winning 25 plus games. They are a really, really great barometer for us. I tell our guys if we can play as hard and compete as much as BYU then we're going to be in pretty good shape and that's a credit to him. I'm always marveling at how hard his kids play and again what a great job they do competing. I'm wishing 300 will be a really big night for him."

On what he learned about his team:

"We hit some adversity tonight. WE didn't cave. WE weren't perfect, but you're not going to be perfect in a high possession game like this with them running a 1-3-1 which takes you out of your rhythm and puts you in different spots. But we responded and didn't cave and hopefully we'll grow from this and be a little bit better. The beauty of this is that we won't have to play another one of these the rest of the year."

On key rebounding performances:

"I thought Jonathan Williams did a great job rebounding on the glass. I thought we Zach Collins, our freshman, really helped there at the end with rim protection and some very big rebounds. Mika is just a ferocious rebounder. He's tough to block out and he pursues it and just does a great job. He's always going and he goes every time and goes hard. He's a handful. That was good for Zach tonight to have to deal with that. Przemek was a calming influence for us, you saw those last five minutes. He did a good job defending Mika, I think he was 5 of 15 tonight so that's about all you can hope for."

What he'll remember most about the Cougars before their next meeting:

"Again, we're going to have to tee it up and compete because Dave's teams tee it up and compete. They're never out of it and no lead is safe. We're going to have to clean up some stuff against the 1-3-1 and we will. Hopefully we'll play better."