Game 12 - BYU Hosts Southern Utah Tuesday

Coming off its 79-61 road win at Weber State Thursday, BYU (3-8) will host another in-state foe Tuesday when the Cougars face Southern Utah (6-3) at 7 p.m. in the Marriott Center. There will be no live television broadcast. The radio broadcast can be heard on KSL Newsradio 1160 (KSL.com).

UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS

The Cougars host Santa Clara of the West Coast Conference Friday at 1 p.m. (No TV).

BYU GAME #12 FAST FACTS

BYU COUGARS (3-8, 0-0 MWC) vs. SOUTHERN UTAH THUNDERBIRDS (6-3, 0-0 Mid-Cont.)

TUESDAY, DEC. 28, 2004

MARRIOTT CENTER (22,700)

PROVO, UTAH, 7 p.m. MST

Coaches:

BYU, Steve Cleveland (132-95 in eighth season; same overall)

SUU, Bill Evans (176-177 in 13th full season; same overall)

Series:

BYU leads, 7-0 (Last meeting: BYU 88, SUU 54, last season in Provo - Nov. 21, 2003)

TV: None

Radio:

KSL 1160, BYU Sports Network (Greg Wrubell calls play-by-play with Mark Durrant adding commentary)

Web:

Live audio and live stats are available at byucougars.com/basketball_m/ (select 2004-05 schedule)

COUGAR QUICK HITS

- Coming off a win at Weber State, BYU looks to post back-to-back victories for the first time this year.

- Steve Cleveland's young squad meshes 10 players who did not suit up for BYU last year with six returning lettermen. Of those returning, senior Mike Hall started in 28 of 30 games last year while averaging 12.8 ppg, sophomore Garner Meads made 18 starts (averaged 16 minutes in 29 games, 4.2 ppg) and senior Jared Jensen started 8 games (averaged 12.1 minutes in 27 games, 3.8 ppg). The other three players who played for BYU last season include senior Terry Nashif (averaged 7.4 minutes in 23 games, 1.0 ppg), sophomore Mike Rose (averaged 7.9 minutes in 26 games, 3.9 ppg) and sophomore Austin Ainge (averaged 4.5 minutes in 8 games, 1.3 ppg).

- The nine BYU players averaging double-digit minutes this season include six sophomores and three seniors. Of BYU's freshmen top-20 signing class, only F/C Chris Miles is currently playing (9.0 minutes). Both David Burgess (ankles) and Trent Plaisted (knees) are currently out while top guard prospect and Arizona Player of the Year Lee Cummard has not been with the Cougars this season after opting to serve an LDS Church mission. He will join the Cougars next season after returning from his mission early.

- BYU tough schedule has included four Pac-10 opponents this season and two nationally ranked ACC teams. BYU's wins are over Chaminade (77-56), Boise State (90-77) and Weber State (79-61).

- Senior guard Mike Hall leads BYU in scoring as the only Cougar averaging double figures (14.1 ppg). Senior Jared Jensen adds 9.5 ppg and sophomore Austin Ainge contributes 9.2 ppg. Sophomore swingman Keena Young leads BYU in rebounding (6.6 rpg) while sophomore forward Garner Meads adds 5.0.

- Southern Utah is BYU's fourth game of six scheduled in-state contests this season. The Cougars are 1-2 thus far after being swept by Utah State and winning at Weber State. BYU will still play Utah twice during Mountain West Conference play.

LOOKING AT SOUTHERN UTAH

Southern Utah returns seven lettermen and three starters from last year's 10-18 team. The last time the Thunderbirds returned three starters they earned their only bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning the 2001 Mid-Continent title. This year's team is off to a 6-3 start and has won four straight entering Provo with road victories over Weber State and Idaho State followed by home wins over Idaho and Drake. SUU is 4-0 at home and 2-3 on the road with losses at Utah, Montana and Sacramento State. Senior swingman Tim Gainey leads SUU in scoring at 15.3 ppg, while senior guard Jason Baker adds 12.1 points while making 60.5 percent of his threes with a team-leading 26 triples to date. Senior forward DeAngelo Newsom adds 10.4 points per game while pulling down a team-best 7.1 rebounds per outing. Several newcomers are also having an impact, with forward Nate Janes, center Telton Hall and guards Curtis Lincoln and Steve Barnes each having earned multiple starts this season. Lincoln has started in seven of nine games and adds 6.7 points with 3.4 assists while Barnes adds a team-best 3.6 assists and shoots 56 percent on three-point attempts (9-16) while contributing 5.1 ppg. As a team, the Thunderbirds shoot .475 from the floor, including a strong .435 from long range, but are making only 58 percent of their free throw attempts. SUU is outscoring opponents 72.0 - 67.8 while its opponents have shot .428 from the field and .306 from behind the arc.

SOUTHERN UTAH'S PROBABLE STARTERS

POS. # NAME HT. WT. YR. PPG RPG

F 2 Tim Gainey 6-6 185 Sr. 15.3 5.6

F 24 DeAngelo Newsom 6-5 220 Sr. 10.4 7.1

F 40 Nate Janes 6-7 210 Jr. 4.3 3.6

G 30 Rand Janes 6-3 195 Jr. 6.9 3.4

G 23 Curtis Lincoln 6-0 165 Jr. 6.7 1.4

BYU SERIES vs. SOUTHERN UTAH

The Cougars and Thunderbirds are meeting for the eighth time. BYU has won the prior seven meetings dating back to 1992. Each game in the series has been played in the Marriott Center. The Cougars are 5-0 under Steve Cleveland against SUU.

BYU SERIES RECORD VS. SOUTHERN UTAH

Overall Series Record: BYU leads 7-0

BYU Record in Provo: 7-0

BYU Record in Cedar City: 0-0

BYU Record at Neutral Sites: 0-0

BYU Record under Steve Cleveland: 5-0

BYU Record in Overtime Games: N/A

Longest BYU Win Streak: 7 (1992-Present)

Longest Southern Utah Win Streak: N/A

Largest BYU Margin of Victory: 46, 108-62 in 1992

Largest Southern Utah Margin of Victory: N/A

Most Points Scored by BYU: 108 in 1992

Most Points Scored by Southern Utah: 67 in 1994

Date Opponent Score W/L

12-11-92 Southern Utah* 108-62 W

12-9-94 Southern Utah* 82-67 W

11-24-99 Southern Utah 92-66 W

12-14-00 Southern Utah 58-52 W

12-29-01 Southern Utah 79-58 W

12-28-02 Southern Utah 90-63 W

11-21-03 Southern Utah 88-54 W

*Cougar Classic

LAST YEAR'S OUTING -- ROSE SETS 3-POINT RECORD IN BYU WIN OVER SOUTHERN UTAH

PROVO -- Making his collegiate debut, freshman Mike Rose blossomed by setting a new school single-game record with eight 3-pointers to lead BYU to an 88-54 win over Southern Utah Friday at the Marriott Center. The freshman guard out of Houston led all scorers with 26 points -- the most points by a BYU freshman since Mark Bigelow totaled 33 in 1998. His eight 3-pointers broke the BYU record of seven threes in a game, previously set by Nick Sanderson (1992) and Danny Bower (1998). Rose's performance behind the arc was just shy of tying the Marriott Center's record of nine 3-pointers in a game set by Utah State's Jay Goodman (1990). Rose was 9-of-16 from the floor with 13 of his attempts coming from behind the arc. He dished out six assists with only one turnover and added two rebounds and one steal in his 22 minutes off the bench.With the win, the Cougars are now 7-0 against the Thunderbirds. Nine of 10 Cougars scored, and four totaled double-digits. Junior Dixie State transfer Mike Hall added 16 points and six rebounds in his Division I debut on 7-of-8 shooting while senior Rafael Araujo went 5-for-8 from the floor, finishing with 12 points and five rebounds. Senior guard Kevin Woodberry contributed 14 points and a career-best 7 assists, one of which set up Rose for his record-breaking trey with 7:01 left in the game. Senior Luiz Lemes added a personal-best five assists and five points on 2-of-3 shooting. Southern Utah came out with its normal 2-3 zone, but never led the game after the tip-off. BYU controlled the first half to take a 46-22 advantage.The 13,786 fans were brought to their feet with 12 minutes to go in the game on back-to-back dunks, an alley-oop from Woodberry to Hall, followed by a slam by Araujo to give BYU a 32- point lead. BYU out shot Southern Utah in all categories, shooting 32-of-55 (57 percent) from the floor, 12-of-26 (50 percent) from three-point range and 12-of-13 (87.5 percent) from the free-throw line. The Cougar defense forced the Thunderbirds to 24 turnovers. Southern Utah's David Palmer led the Thunderbirds with 18 points, including a 5-for-8 performance from the 3-point line. Junior College All-American transfer DeAngelo Newsom added 14 points and six rebounds."Our zone execution was solid," Cleveland said. "We worked on it most of the week, and we'll see a lot of it this season." "I thought we matched the physical play early, but they manhandled us," Southern Utah head coach Bill Evans said. "They're well-coached and a big, physical team. I thought Araujo, Rose, Lemes and Jensen played better than our guys tonight."

IN-STATE COMPETITION

BYU is 1-2 so far this season against Utah teams with two losses to Utah State and Thursday's win over Weber State. Southern Utah is 1-1 with a win at Weber State (62-56) and at Utah (65-45). Tuesday's game is the final in-state contest for Southern Utah this season while BYU will still play Utah twice during Mountain West Conference play. Utah State has already wrapped up the old Oquirrh Bucket and the Utah basketball bragging rights by virtue of a 4-0 record against in-state teams this season with two wins over BYU and victories over Utah and Weber State.

BYU's LAST OUTING - BALANCED ATTACK POWERS COUGARS OVER WEBER STATE

OGDEN -- Led by a balanced overall attack, BYU shot 60 percent from the floor on its way to a 79-61 road victory over Weber State Thursday in the Dee Events Center. "This game is much easier when you make baskets," said BYU coach Steve Cleveland, whose team entered the game shooting 40 percent on the season. "Our post players did a nice job tonight. We got the ball into the post. That's what we have to do." Four Cougars tied season highs in scoring to fuel BYU's offense, led by senior guard Mike Hall's career-equaling 23 points. Senior center Jared Jensen added 16 points while sophomore forwards Keena Young and Garner Meads tallied 14 and 10 points, respectively. Hall was 9-for-12 from the floor, including a sizzling 5-of-7 from long range. His five treys is a personal best. Jensen went 8-for-11 from the field and Young was 5-of-7 from the floor as the Cougars had their top shooting night of the season. Center Derek Dawes added seven points to help BYU outscore Weber State 42-28 in the paint. Cleveland put Dawes in the starting lineup for the second time this season, joining Jensen, Young, Hall and sophomore Austin Ainge to begin the game. Cleveland went primarily with six players as Meads (27 minutes) was the only reserve to log double-digit minutes. Ainge played a nice floor game in his third straight start at the point, contributing nine points, four steals, three rebounds and three assists. BYU committed just eight turnovers on the night, with Ainge making only one miscue during his career-most 34 minutes. BYU led from the outset and never looked back after finishing the first half on a 9-0 run to take a 42-28 advantage at the break. The Cougars built a lead as high as 21 points in the second half and never let Weber State get closer than 10 points at 48-38 with 16 minutes remaining. The Cougars shot a season-high 54.5 percent on threes, going 6-of-11, and were a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe -- BYU's second perfect night from the line this season. The Wildcats shot 41.5 percent overall, including 33.3 percent on threes, and converted on 75 percent of their free throws. Weber State got a huge performance out of senior center Lance Allred, who scored 27 points and grabbed 18 rebounds. Terrell Stovall added 15 points and Troy Goodell had 11 for the Wildcats, with Goodell making three treys and Stovall connecting twice from behind the arc. With the win, BYU improves to 3-8 on the season while Weber State falls to 4-6.

HALL COMING OFF BIG WEEK

Senior guard Mike Hall averaged a team-best 20.5 ppg last week against nationally ranked NC State and at Weber State. He shot 55 percent from the floor, including 6-of-12 on threes while adding 3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals for the week. Hall scored a team-high 18 points vs. NC State, adding 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Hall tied his career-high with 23 points to lead BYU to a road win over Weber State. Hall scored BYU's first five points of the game and had 13 points in the game's first nine minutes to help BYU take control. Hall finished the first half with 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting and hit his fourth trey of the half in five attempts just before the break to cap a 9-0 BYU run and give the Cougars a 14-point advantage. For the game, Hall went 9-for-12 from the floor, and made a career-best 5 triples on 7 attempts while adding 4 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals.

JENSEN ON A ROLE

Senior Jared Jensen has made 14 of his last 19 field goal attempts (.737). Last week he averaged 15 ppg for the Cougars after missing a start due to food poisoning the prior game vs. Utah State.

AINGE PROVING POINT

Point guard Austin Ainge is one of BYU's young players taking advantage of his opportunity for playing time this season. He has been the team's most consistent player over the last seven games while averaging 13 points, including a career-best 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting vs. Utah State and a career-high 8 assists vs. NC State. He has started the last three games and is now earning the majority of the point guard minutes with senior Terry Nashif coming off the bench. Overall, he is third on the team in scoring at 9.2 ppg. He is second on the team in shooting percentage and leads among perimeter players at 48.6 percent and has the team's second-best three-point percentage (.405) behind shooting guard Mike Rose (.429).

COUGARS FOUND THE MARK

BYU shot a season-high 60 percent from the floor and 54.5 percent on threes in its win at Weber State. It is the first time this year BYU has topped 50 percent shooting overall and the third time it has made 50 percent or better from long range. BYU shot 49 percent last week overall, including 41 percent on threes.

ONE POINT AT A TIME

BYU made 23-of-24 (.958) free throws in its last two games and has made its last 14 straight attempts from the line. BYU has topped 90 percent shooting from the line three times this year, including two perfect nights vs. Weber State and Chaminade -- both wins. On the year, BYU is shooting .742 from the line.

INJURY ISSUES

BYU has suffered through many different injury issues in the post this year. Freshman center David Burgess is out and is scheduled for ankle surgery. Freshman forward Trent Plaisted is out indefinitely (knee). Sophomore forward Garner Meads missed two games (ankle) while sophomore center Derek Dawes has played the last three games with a broken thumb. Senior F/C Jared Jensen played limited minutes vs. Utah State due to food poisoning and junior forward Joshua Burgess has been slowed by back problems. Freshman F/C Chris Miles is the only Cougar post player not to have his play limited during the regular season due to illness or injury.

IMPROVING TURNOVER/ASSIST RATIO

BYU has taken better care of the ball after averaging 23 turnovers to only 6 assists in its first two outings this year. Over the last nine games, the Cougars are averaging 13.6 turnovers and 13.7 assists. BYU equaled its season low of eight turnovers and made 15 assists at Weber State Thursday.

YOUNG TEAM FACING STRONG SCHEDULE

BYU's schedule includes 10 teams that finished in the top three in their respective league standings last year, with eight finishing as either the league champion or runner-up. Seven teams played in the NCAA Tournament and five were invited to the NIT, while eight opponents achieved 20-win seasons last year. North Carolina, North Carolina State and Stanford all finished the season in the final top-25 rankings. The Cougars have played two teams from the ACC in the same season for the first time in nearly 50 years and they also have faced four teams from the Pac-10 for the first time since 1998-99. The last time BYU had a schedule with two ACC teams was the 1955-56 season when the Cougars played at both NC State and Wake Forest.

SLOW START

BYU is off to a 3-8 start playing a strong schedule with a young team that includes seven sophomores and three freshmen. BYU last started 3-8 in 1997-98 during Steve Cleveland's first season when the Cougars had a 3-9 start over their first 12 games.

CURRENT BYU WIN/LOSS STREAKS ...

At home 0-2

On the road 1-0

On a neutral floor 0-1

At home vs. Nonconference 0-2

At home vs. MWC 12-0

On the road vs. Nonconference 1-0

On the road vs. MWC 3-0

On a neutral floor vs. Nonconference 0-1

On a neutral floor vs. MWC 0-1

at regular season tournament 1-0

at MWC Tournament 0-1

at NCAA Tournament 0-5

at NIT 0-1