Team effort gives BYU a 91-60 win over Alabama A&M

PROVO, Utah – Three Cougars scored in double digits as BYU defeated Alabama A&M 91-60 Saturday in the Marriott Center in the second game of the Men Against Breast Cancer Cougar Cup.

"It was good to see our guys in a rhythm offensively," BYU head coach Dave Rose said. "I think it was the best we’ve executed and finished for long periods of time this season."

BYU’s (4-1) Yoeli Childs had his fifth-straight double-double – 25th of his career – with 18 points and 12 rebounds. TJ Haws led the Cougars in points with 19 and he dished out a game-high of six assists. Zac Seljaas was the third Cougar to score in double figures with 15 points on a season-best 5 of 8 shooting from downtown. They scored 24 fast-break points compared to zero for Alabama A&M (0-4).

Childs had a dunk to extend the early Cougar lead to 6-0 in the fourth minute of the first half. Haws later made two jumpers to bring BYU up 19-7. Back on defense, Haws stole the ball and laid it in to make it 21-7.

The Cougars had an 11-0 run against the Bulldogs to bring the lead to 23-7 with 8:57 left in the first half. After some Alabama A&M scoring, Childs brought it back for BYU with a dunk over the Bulldog defense. With six minutes left in the half, Seljaas drained a 3 from the top of the key, making the Cougar lead 29-14.

With 3:36 left in the half, Haws dished the ball in from the top of the key to Childs where he made a jumper to extend the lead to 37-17. On the following possession, Dalton Nixon dunked the ball, bringing the score to 39-20 for the Cougars. With 24 seconds left in the half, Seljaas hit a three and BYU led 46-24 going into halftime. Childs led the Cougars with 12 points and Haws trailed with 10.

BYU had a quick start in the second half with Haws draining a three on the Cougars’ first possession. Nixon followed with a layup on the next possession, making BYU’s lead 51-26 in the second minute of the half. Childs snagged the rebound off a Cougar shot and put it in to bring the lead to 60-34 with 15:11 in the second half.

Seljaas hit 3’s on consecutive possessions, bringing the lead for BYU to 66-34. Halfway through the second half, Childs drove into the paint and laid the ball off to Luke Worthington who put it in, increasing the Cougar lead to 75-41. Harding drove the ball down the court and penetrated through the Alabama A&M defense to lay the ball in, making it 87-50 for BYU with 7:34 left in the game.

Rylan Bergersen shot one-and-one on free throws, increasing the lead comfortably to 91-55 with 3:41 left in the game. The Cougars stayed tight on defense for the remainder of the game and limited the Bulldogs on offense. BYU ended the game with a 31-point lead as the final score was 91-60.

BYU takes on Rice at home in the Marriott Center as part of the Men Against Breast Cancer Cougar Cup, on Wednesday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. MST. The game will be broadcast live on BYUtv and BYU Radio Sirius XM 143/89.1 FM HD2 and KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM.