Cougars Pounce On Liberty in Holiday Classic

Oral Roberts Edges Seton Hall in BYU Classic Opener

PROVO -- BYU earned a 73-59 win over Liberty University Thursday during the first day of the BYU Holiday Classic. In the opening game Thursday, Caleb Green sank a pair of free throws with :2.4 seconds remaining to lift Oral Roberts University to a 76-74 win over Seton Hall in the Marriott Center.

BYU improves to 8-4 with the win while Liberty falls to 6-5. Oral Roberts evened its record at 6-6 with Seton Hall suffering only its third loss at 7-3. Friday matchups at the BYU Holiday Classic pit Liberty against Seton Hall at 5 p.m. MT and Oral Roberts versus BYU in the nightcap at 7:30 p.m. MT.

In BYU's game Thursday, Rashaun Broadus paced the Cougars in the early going scoring five points and dishing out an assist, helping BYU jump out to an early 11-6 lead.

Liberty held tough with a balanced scoring attack led by forward Alex McLean who scored eight points and collected four rebounds in the first half. The Flames' defense was able to frustrate the Cougar post players, including big man Trent Plaisted.

"I think we did a great job defensively and on the boards. Give the credit to Liberty," BYU head coach Dave Rose said. "We watched a lot of film, and they had a different game plan than we were expecting. They ran the shot clock and then came after us. For whatever reason we were a little rushed and didn't make many shots in the first half."

BYU coach Dave Rose responded by going with a smaller lineup with forwards Keena Young and Jonathan Tavernari. These two, along with guard Mike Rose, who hit a three-pointer late in the half, were able to provide the energy the Cougars needed to take a 29-25 lead at halftime.

The second half opened up with BYU trying to re-establish its dominance in the post. Young and Plaisted answered the call sending the Cougars on a 13-2 run to start the half, capped by a three-pointer from forward Lee Cummard. Young finished with 17 points and four rebounds, while Plaisted finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.

After trailing 51-38 Liberty hit back to back three-pointers to narrow the Cougars' lead to 51-44.

BYU responded with a run of its own capped by a Trent Plaisted dunk to make the score 61-45 in favor of the Cougars.

The Cougars continued to pull away at the end of the game with another Plaisted dunk and two Sam Burgess three-pointers.

The Cougars defense stepped it up in the second half, finishing the night with 12 forced turnovers and a season-high nine blocked shots.

"We need to play the post-feed offense better," Liberty head coach Randy Dunton said. "We did a good job early on their big guy. I felt like we gave him some looks that he wasn't use to."

Liberty guards Larry Blair and Dwight Brewington had 12 and 14 points apiece, and McLean finished with a double-double with14 points and 10 rebounds, but Liberty was not able to overcome the post presence of Young and Plaisted and the guard play of Sam Burgess and Rashaun Broadus.

Burgess had 12 points and tied a career high with three rebounds off the bench for the Cougars, while Broadus finished with 10 points and two assists.

The Cougars had four players score in double figures.

ORAL ROBERTS 76, SETON HALL 74

In the opening game of the BYU Holiday Classic, Caleb Green sank a pair of free throws with :2.4 seconds remaining to lift Oral Roberts University to a 76-74 win over Seton Hall Thursday at Marriott Center. After leading by as many as 12 points late in the first half, the Golden Eagles (6-6) found themselves on the short end of a 72-64 score with 3:40 to play before mounting a comeback. Ken Tutt started the final surge with a pair of free throws at 3:17, trimming the Pirates lead to 72-66. A Seton Hall (7-3) miss on the other end led to a fastbreak layup for Tutt, trimming it to 72-68 with 2:55 left. Green converted a 3-point play with 2:20 left to pull the Golden Eagles within 72-71. Seton Hall's Eugene Harvey temporarily stopped the bleeding and gave the Pirates a 74-71 lead at 2:09. But Harvey was whistled for a taunting technical after the basket, and Tutt sank a pair of free throws to make it a 74-73 game. Green tied the game by making one-of-two free throws with :55.5 seconds left. Seton Hall -- which went 1-for-6 from the field in the final three minutes -- again missed on its next possession, setting the stage for Green's winning free throws. Tutt finished with 24 points, going 8-of-16 from the field and 7-of-11 from the line. Marchello Vealy grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds. Brian Laing led Seton Hall with 17 points, while Jamar Nutter scored 16.

POSTGAME NOTES AND QUOTES LINKS (box scores below)

BYU vs. Liberty postgame notes and quotes.

Oral Roberts vs. Seton Hall postgame notes and quotes.

Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS
Liberty Flames vs BYU Cougars
12/28/06 7:35 p.m. at Marriott Center, Provo, Utah
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VISITORS: Liberty Flames 6-5
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
11 HUBBARD, Damien..... f  0-2    0-0    0-0    1  4  5   1   0  2  1  1  0  30
21 McLEAN, Alex........ f  7-13   0-0    0-1    1  9 10   2  14  1  3  0  0  36
05 SMITH, Anthony...... g  0-6    0-2    2-2    1  2  3   2   2  4  3  0  1  34
22 BLAIR, Larry........ g  4-16   1-5    3-3    0  2  2   1  12  4  0  0  1  30
24 BREWINGTON, Dwight.. g  5-9    1-1    3-4    1  3  4   2  14  1  2  0  1  32
01 HOLLAND, Justin.....    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  0  0  0  0   3
02 JENKINS, B.J........    2-3    1-1    2-2    0  0  0   4   7  2  2  0  1  12
03 BAKER, Tyler........    2-2    2-2    0-0    0  1  1   1   6  0  0  0  1   8
30 MONROE, Russell.....    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   2   0  0  0  0  0   1
33 PORTER, Rell........    2-4    0-0    0-0    1  1  2   0   4  0  1  0  0  14
   TEAM................                         1  1  2
   Totals..............   22-55   5-11  10-12   6 23 29  16  59 14 12  1  5 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  9-27 33.3%   2nd Half: 13-28 46.4%   Game: 40.0%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  1-4  25.0%   2nd Half:  4-7  57.1%   Game: 45.5%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  6-6  100 %   2nd Half:  4-6  66.7%   Game: 83.3%    0
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HOME TEAM: BYU Cougars 8-4
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
03 YOUNG, Keena........ f  6-12   0-0    5-6    1  3  4   1  17  1  3  0  1  31
30 CUMMARD, Lee........ f  1-2    1-1    2-2    1  5  6   3   5  5  0  1  1  26
44 PLAISTED, Trent..... c  5-9    0-0    1-2    3  6  9   3  11  0  3  3  0  28
01 BROADUS, Rashaun.... g  4-7    1-3    1-4    0  2  2   2  10  2  0  0  1  25
23 BALDERSON, Jimmy.... g  2-6    0-2    2-2    1  4  5   3   6  1  1  1  0  24
02 ROSE, Mike..........    2-4    1-3    0-0    0  3  3   0   5  1  0  1  0   9
13 AINGE, Austin.......    0-2    0-2    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  4  1  0  0  16
15 MALAMAN, Fernando...    1-5    0-0    0-0    1  0  1   1   2  0  0  2  0   9
20 BURGESS, Sam........    4-6    2-3    2-2    1  2  3   3  12  0  1  0  0  20
45 TAVERNARI, Jonathan.    2-6    0-3    1-2    3  4  7   0   5  1  0  1  1  12
   TEAM................
   Totals..............   27-59   5-17  14-20  11 29 40  16  73 15  9  9  4 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-32 34.4%   2nd Half: 16-27 59.3%   Game: 45.8%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  2-9  22.2%   2nd Half:  3-8  37.5%   Game: 29.4%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  5-6  83.3%   2nd Half:  9-14 64.3%   Game: 70.0%    4
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Officials: Scott Thornley, Mike Reed, Brian Shelley
Technical fouls: Liberty Flames-None. BYU Cougars-None.
Attendance: 9284
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Liberty Flames................   25   34  -   59
BYU Cougars...................   29   44  -   73
BYU Holiday Classic
Points in the paint-LU 28,BY 37. Points off turnovers-LU 15,BY 14.
2nd chance points-LU 8,BY 11. Fast break points-LU 6,BY 11.
Bench points-LU 17,BY 24. Score tied-3 times. Lead changes-0 times.
Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS
Seton Hall Pirates vs Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
12/28/06 5:05 p.m. at Marriott Center, Provo, Utah
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VISITORS: Seton Hall Pirates 7-3
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
14 LAING, Brian........ f  6-12   1-3    4-6    2  8 10   5  17  5  4  1  0  37
23 GAINES, Stan........ f  3-7    0-0    2-2    1  3  4   5   8  0  1  0  0  23
33 BILLMEIER, Grant.... c  0-0    0-0    1-2    1  2  3   5   1  1  2  1  0  13
02 NUTTER, Jamar....... g  5-13   4-8    2-3    0  3  3   4  16  1  4  0  1  35
15 HARVEY, Eugene...... g  6-14   0-0    1-1    1  0  1   1  13  6  2  0  2  34
10 PRATT, Kashif.......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   0   0  0  0  0  0   1
20 MARSHALL, Carl......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  0  0  0  0   1
21 MESSY, Mani.........    2-2    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   2   4  0  0  0  0  13
22 GAUSE, Paul.........    1-6    0-4    0-0    1  0  1   1   2  1  1  0  2  23
35 DAVIS, Larry........    5-6    2-2    1-1    0  1  1   2  13  1  1  0  1  20
   TEAM................                         3  1  4   1
   Totals..............   28-60   7-17  11-15   9 19 28  27  74 15 15  2  6 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-29 41.4%   2nd Half: 16-31 51.6%   Game: 46.7%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  6-10 60.0%   2nd Half:  1-7  14.3%   Game: 41.2%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  8-11 72.7%   2nd Half:  3-4  75.0%   Game: 73.3%    2
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HOME TEAM: Oral Roberts Golden Eagles 6-6
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
03 OGUNOYE, Yemi....... f  0-0    0-0    0-0    1  4  5   1   0  5  2  2  0  37
30 GREEN, Caleb........ f  9-12   0-0   12-22   2  4  6   1  30  0  4  1  1  38
33 KING, Shawn......... c  2-2    0-0    0-0    0  3  3   2   4  0  1  1  0  12
01 TUTT, Ken........... g  8-16   1-5    7-11   1  0  1   1  24  0  3  0  0  39
11 LIBERTY, Adam....... g  2-4    0-0    2-2    0  3  3   5   6  2  4  0  0  29
05 SANGO, Kelvin.......    2-3    0-0    2-4    2  1  3   3   6  3  4  0  2  18
10 VEALY, Marchello....    3-10   0-0    0-0    3  8 11   4   6  3  1  3  0  24
23 JORDAN, Daren.......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   1
32 HAYNES, Ben.........    0-1    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  0  1  0  0   2
   TEAM................                         1  2  3
   Totals..............   26-48   1-5   23-39  10 25 35  18  76 13 20  7  3 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 16-29 55.2%   2nd Half: 10-19 52.6%   Game: 54.2%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  1-4  25.0%   2nd Half:  0-1   0.0%   Game: 20.0%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  7-12 58.3%   2nd Half: 16-27 59.3%   Game: 59.0%    9
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Officials: Mike Littlewood, Mike Giarratano, Duane Allen
Technical fouls: Seton Hall Pirates-GAINES, Stan; LAING, Brian; TEAM. Oral
Roberts Golden Eagles-None.
Attendance: 1045
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Seton Hall Pirates............   38   36  -   74
Oral Roberts Golden Eagles....   40   36  -   76
BYU Holiday Classic
Points in the paint-SHU 28,ORU 30. Points off turnovers-SHU 30,ORU 16.
2nd chance points-SHU 10,ORU 11. Fast break points-SHU 8,ORU 6.
Bench points-SHU 19,ORU 12. Score tied-7 times. Lead changed-11 times.
Last FG-SHU 2nd-02:09, ORU 2nd-02:20.
Largest lead-SHU by 9 2nd-05:49, ORU by 12 1st-05:55.