Bigelow Stays Hot as Cougars Down Thunderbirds

PROVO -- When BYU guard Travis Hansen got an emphatic dunk directly off the opening tip Saturday, the 10,266 fans in the Marriott Center got a pretty good idea of what would follow over the next 40 minutes. BYU stormed out to an 8-0 advantage and never looked back, leading by as many as 25 points before defeating Southern Utah 79-58.

The Cougars, now 9-2 on the year, extended their win streak at the Marriott Center to 27 games, the fourth-longest home court streak in the nation, and their overall win streak to seven games, the longest by a BYU team since the 1994-95 season. BYU improved to 5-0 all-time against Southern Utah, who suffered its fourth straight loss to fall to 3-8 on the year.

Led by sophomore Mark Bigelow's five threes and game-high 20 points, the Cougars used hot shooting and stingy defense to stifle the Thunderbirds' game. BYU shot 60 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range for the game.

"One thing we did well tonight was shoot the ball," BYU head coach Steve Cleveland said. "I thought we were very efficient in the second half getting the ball in the post."

Freshman Jared Jensen became the primary benefactor of BYU's ball entry into the post in the second half. Jensen failed to score in the first half, but scored 14 points in the second half to tie a career high. Jensen also scored 14 points in a loss at UC Santa Barbara.

Jensen wasn't the only freshman who had an influence on the game's outcome. Guards Terry Nashif and Jimmy Balderson played quality minutes off the bench, with Balderson scoring 11 points in only 13 minutes and Nashif logging a season-high 10 minutes at the point.

"I thought Nashif and Balderson showed composure in coming off the bench," Cleveland said.

For the second straight game, Bigelow had the hot hand for the Cougars in the first half. Just like Thursday against Cal State Northridge, Bigelow scored 17 points in the first half on his way to a game-high 20 for the night. He also finished with a game-high six rebounds. Bigelow, who leads BYU in scoring at 18.4 points per game, has now scored at least 14 points in 10 straight games.

"Mark Bigelow is a guy who knows how to get the ball into the basket," Southern Utah head coach Bill Evans said.

The Cougars held Southern Utah to only 21 points in the first half on 28 percent shooting, but Cleveland still thinks BYU needs to improve its defense if it wants to succeed down the road.

"Southern Utah was shooting poorly in the first half, but they did get good looks," Cleveland said. "They just couldn't knock them down and that concerns me a little bit."

Hansen scored 16 points to join Bigelow, Jensen and Balderson in double figures for BYU. Dan Beus led Southern Utah with 16 points while Brian Gardner and Donnie Jackson each added 10. The Thunderbirds shot 36 percent for the game.

BYU continues its three-game homestand against San Francisco on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. BYU looks to extend its win streak and avenge last season's loss to the Dons in San Francisco.

"There won't be a better group of athletes in this building than those we'll face in San Francisco," Cleveland said.

The Dons defeated Michigan Saturday to improve to 4-7 on the year.

Game Notes

• BYU extended its record of consecutive wins at home 27 games.

• BYU also extended its current winning streak to seven games, a first in the Steve Cleveland era after two six-game streaks. The seven straight wins is the first by a BYU team since the 1994-95 season.

• For the second consecutive game, Mark Bigelow had 17 points at the half, while the Cougars scored 34. Bigelow also made five three pointers, tying his career high from behind the arc.

• BYU did not take a free throw in the first half, with the Cougars' first free throw coming with just over 19:00 to play in the second half. BYU finished 12-17 from the line. Last season, the Cougars set their season high for free throws made (35) and attempted (46) vs. Southern Utah.

• Jared Jensen tied his career high with 14 points. All of his points came in the second half. He also had 14 points against UC Santa Barbara.

• Redshirt freshman Jesse Pinegar scored the first points of his collegiate career. He scored with about a minute to play on a floating baseline jumper.

• BYU had eight three pointers in the first half and 11 for the game, tying a season high for the game and setting a season high for the first half. The Cougars also had 11 three pointers against Idaho. BYU also attempted 22 threes, the most of the season. BYU's 11 treys all game from four players with Mark Bigelow making five, and Travis Hansen, Daniel Bobik, and Jimmy Balderson each making two threes.

• BYU shot 59.6 percent, its second best shooting night of the season. BYU has shot 50 percent or better three times this year and is making just under 50 percent (.495) from the floor overall after 11 games.

Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS
Southern Utah University vs BRIGHAM YOUNG Cougars
12/29/01 4:05 at Marriott Center, Provo, Utah
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VISITORS: Southern Utah University 3-9
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
21 HENRY, Kevin........ f  2-11   0-1    0-0    0  0  0   4   4  1  1  0  2  24
32 JACKSON, Donnie..... f  3-8    0-1    4-6    2  0  2   2  10  1  1  0  2  30
33 BEUS, Dan........... f  6-14   2-5    2-3    1  5  6   3  16  1  5  0  2  34
25 GARDNER, Brian...... g  3-9    3-7    1-2    1  0  1   3  10  1  3  0  2  38
31 COLLINS, Jay........ g  2-6    0-4    0-0    0  2  2   3   4  2  2  0  2  27
12 BAKER, Jason........    0-2    0-0    3-4    0  2  2   0   3  4  1  0  0  14
34 DAY, Ross...........    1-2    1-2    1-2    2  1  3   0   4  1  0  0  0  13
35 DORENBOSCH, Jeff....    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   5
40 WALLIN, Chris.......    1-2    0-0    0-2    1  2  3   0   2  0  0  0  0   4
42 MILES, Aaron........    2-2    1-1    0-0    1  1  2   2   5  0  1  0  0  11
   TEAM................                         4  1  5
   Totals..............   20-56   7-21  11-19  12 14 26  17  58 11 14  0 10 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  8-29 27.6%   2nd Half: 12-27 44.4%   Game: 35.7%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  1-10 10.0%   2nd Half:  6-11 54.5%   Game: 33.3%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  4-7  57.1%   2nd Half:  7-12 58.3%   Game: 57.9%    2
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HOME TEAM: BRIGHAM YOUNG Cougars 9-2
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
03 BIGELOW, Mark....... f  7-14   5-8    1-2    2  4  6   0  20  2  3  0  0  30
25 NIELSEN, Eric....... f  3-3    0-0    0-0    2  2  4   4   6  1  3  2  0  25
52 JENSEN, Jared....... c  5-6    0-0    4-5    1  4  5   3  14  0  2  0  1  24
02 HANSEN, Travis...... g  5-10   2-5    4-4    0  4  4   4  16  3  3  0  0  24
31 MONTAGUE, Matt...... g  1-1    0-0    0-0    1  2  3   1   2 10  4  0  2  30
04 PINEGAR, Jesse......    1-2    0-1    0-0    0  1  1   0   2  0  0  0  0   3
10 NASHIF, Terry.......    0-1    0-1    0-0    0  3  3   1   0  2  0  0  0  10
20 BOBIK, Daniel.......    2-4    2-3    0-0    0  0  0   0   6  2  1  1  0  18
22 BALDERSON, Jimmy....    4-6    2-4    1-2    1  1  2   1  11  2  2  0  0  13
32 JEPSEN, Bart........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  3  3   3   0  0  1  0  0  11
40 HOWARD, Dan.........    0-0    0-0    1-2    0  0  0   0   1  0  0  0  0   5
42 CARLISLE, Jon.......    0-0    0-0    1-2    1  1  2   1   1  0  1  0  0   7
   TEAM................                            5  5
   Totals..............   28-47  11-22  12-17   8 30 38  18  79 22 20  3  3 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 13-22 59.1%   2nd Half: 15-25 60.0%   Game: 59.6%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  8-11 72.7%   2nd Half:  3-11 27.3%   Game: 50.0%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  0-0   0.0%   2nd Half: 12-17 70.6%   Game: 70.6%    2
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Officials: Jim Danner, Tim Gabutero, Mike Giarratano
Technical fouls: Southern Utah University-BEUS, Dan. BRIGHAM YOUNG
Cougars-None.
Attendance: 10266
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Southern Utah University......   21   37  -   58
BRIGHAM YOUNG Cougars.........   34   45  -   79