Young Scores Season High in Win

PROVO -- Although the game was inconsistent, Keena Young came off the bench to score 12 points, a season high, and lead the Cougars (5-2) to a 65-46 victory over Northern Kentucky Saturday night in the Marriott Center.

"I think what we are seeing is a team that is starting to grasp our concepts for a time," head coach Dave Rose said. "We just haven't been able to put it together for a whole game."

BYU started off strong as the team jumped out to an early 7-0 lead. Just one minute into the game, Trent Plaisted sent a turn-around jumper into the net. The shot was followed with buckets from Fernando Malaman and Rashaun Broadus.

With 14 minutes remaining in the half, NKU's Mike Kimmey found the bottom of the net to put the Norse on the board for the first time.

Freshman Jackson Emery countered on the very next possession with a three-pointer, which started a run of nine unanswered points for the Cougars. The run also ended with Emery, who caught the ball on a fast break, somehow finding a seam for an easy pass and subsequent layup by Lee Cummard.

The Norse found some energy with eight minutes remaining in the half, going on a 14-2 run to narrow the gap to seven, 24-17. The run included three buckets by Gavin Ludgood and two NKU three-pointers.

"We did a great job guarding them for the first 10 minutes, then we let up a little and they scored some points," Rose said.

Young finally stopped the run with a 10-foot jumper, followed by a quick baseline shot courtesy of Brock Reichner and a three-pointer by Malaman,

Northern Kentucky's Harrison Morton scored a jumper from the left baseline as time expired in the half to give the Norse a boost going into the break, cutting the lead to 12, 35-23.

Both teams struggled to gain some momentum early in the second half, but Plaisted got the Cougars going after taking a charge and then converting an up-and-under shot.

Northern Kentucky did not score a field goal in the second half until the 12:51 mark.

BYU executed a textbook fast break at the 10-minute mark when Jimmy Balderson sent a pass up court to Austin Ainge, who tipped it to a wide-open Emery under the basket.

With just under six minutes remaining in the game, Derek Dawes received the ball in the post, spun and got fouled on an up-and-under. He converted the three-point play.

NKU's Ludgood led all players with 17 points and eight rebounds. Young paced the Cougars with 12 points and six rebounds, both season highs, while Dawes added 10 points. Emery came off the bench to score eight points, grab six rebounds and dish out five assists.

The Cougars shot 55.1 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from the free throw line, while the Norse made 37.8 percent of their field shots and 61.5 percent from the line.

BYU faces Weber State on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Marriott Center.

Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS
Northern Kentucky Norse vs BYU Cougars
12-10-05 7:05 p.m. at Marriott Center, Provo, Utah
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VISITORS: Northern Kentucky Norse 6-1
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
05 Humphrey, Vincent... f  3-7    1-4    2-3    0  2  2   5   9  0  3  0  0  25
42 Reinhardt, Kevin.... f  0-2    0-0    0-0    1  0  1   0   0  0  1  0  1   5
34 Ludgood, Gavin...... c  8-11   0-0    1-4    0  8  8   5  17  0  2  0  0  32
10 Bibbins, Scott...... g  0-1    0-0    0-0    1  0  1   0   0  0  1  0  0  12
32 McFarland, David.... g  0-1    0-1    0-0    0  2  2   1   0  3  0  0  0  20
12 Lies, David.........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0  0+
15 Finnell, Billy......    0-3    0-3    0-0    0  4  4   1   0  3  5  0  1  21
21 Morton, Harrison....    3-6    1-2    2-2    0  3  3   2   9  1  3  0  1  23
22 Hawkins, Mark.......    0-1    0-1    0-0    0  0  0   2   0  0  1  0  0   6
30 Kimmey, Mike........    1-5    0-4    0-0    0  2  2   0   2  1  2  0  1  22
33 Schappell, Kevin....    2-8    2-4    2-2    1  2  3   1   8  3  1  1  2  29
40 Rasso, Travis.......    0-0    0-0    1-2    0  0  0   1   1  0  0  0  0   5
   TEAM................                         3  1  4
   Totals..............   17-45   4-19   8-13   6 24 30  18  46 11 19  1  6 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-24 41.7%   2nd Half:  7-21 33.3%   Game: 37.8%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  3-9  33.3%   2nd Half:  1-10 10.0%   Game: 21.1%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  0-2   0.0%   2nd Half:  8-11 72.7%   Game: 61.5%    2
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HOME TEAM: BYU Cougars 5-2
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
15 MALAMAN, Fernando... f  3-5    1-1    0-0    1  3  4   1   7  1  2  4  2  23
23 BALDERSON, Jimmy.... f  1-2    0-1    0-2    0  1  1   2   2  0  1  0  1  11
44 PLAISTED, Trent..... c  4-5    0-0    0-4    0  3  3   4   8  0  3  0  1  24
01 BROADUS, Rashaun.... g  3-8    1-5    0-0    0  4  4   1   7  3  1  0  1  31
11 REICHNER, Brock..... g  2-7    0-3    0-0    0  1  1   1   4  5  1  0  0  27
02 ROSE, Mike..........    0-1    0-1    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  2  0  0  0   6
03 YOUNG, Keena........    4-6    0-0    4-4    2  4  6   3  12  0  2  0  0  23
04 EMERY, Jackson......    3-3    2-2    0-0    0  6  6   1   8  5  2  1  0  22
13 AINGE, Austin.......    1-3    1-2    0-0    0  0  0   0   3  4  0  0  0  16
30 CUMMARD, Lee........    2-3    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   4  0  0  0  1   7
43 DAWES, Derek........    4-6    0-0    2-3    0  0  0   2  10  0  0  0  0  10
   TEAM................                            3  3
   Totals..............   27-49   5-15   6-13   3 25 28  16  65 20 12  5  6 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 15-23 65.2%   2nd Half: 12-26 46.2%   Game: 55.1%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  3-6  50.0%   2nd Half:  2-9  22.2%   Game: 33.3%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  2-4  50.0%   2nd Half:  4-9  44.4%   Game: 46.2%    2
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Officials: Greg Burks, Michael Irving, Brian Shelley
Technical fouls: Northern Kentucky Norse-None. BYU Cougars-None.
Attendance: 7205
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Northern Kentucky Norse.......   23   23  -   46
BYU Cougars...................   35   30  -   65
Points in the paint-NKU 16,BY 33. Points off turnovers-NKU 14,BY 28.
2nd chance points-NKU 5,BY 2. Fast break points-NKU 2,BY 15.
Bench points-NKU 20,BY 37. Score tied-0 times. Lead changes-0 times.