BYU vs. Colorado State: Games Notes & Quotes

BYU vs. Colorado State

January 16, 2010

Marriott Center (Provo, Utah)

Player Notes

— Jimmer Fredette led all scorers with 21 points (8-of-18) in 24 minutes, adding 4 assists and 2 rebounds.

— Charles Abouo tied a career-high with 8 rebounds.

— Jonathan Tavernari’s 4 steals are a season high, as the senior added 14 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 19 minutes.

— Noah Hartsock had a career-high 4 blocks. His previous record was three (twice).

Team Notes

— With 149 threes through 19 games (149-of-355, .420), BYU is on pace to match the 2007-08 team that set the Cougar record for threes in a single season. In 2007-08, BYU had made 151 threes through 19 games and was shooting .344.

— BYU has won 7-straight against the Rams and 10 of the last 11. CSU has not won at the Marriott Center since a 55-44 victory in 1998, giving the Cougars an 11-game home win streak.

— BYU has won 13-straight games, tied for the program’s third-longest streak ever. The winning streak is the longest since the 1992-93 season when the Cougars won 13 in a row from 1/4 to 2/15/93.

— Improving to 18-1, the last time the Cougars had a better record through their first 18 games was the 1987-88 season when BYU began its season also at 18-1.

— BYU owns a 141-58 (.709) record as a ranked team, including 81-12 (.871) at home. The Cougars are 13-6 (.684) under Coach Rose when ranked, including 4-0 this season.

— Colorado State’s 22 first-half points tied for the second-fewest points allowed by BYU in a first period (14 vs. Eastern Washington, 22 vs. Southern).

— BYU has scored 90 or more points in six games.

— The Cougars shot .625 in the second half, their third-highest percentage in a second half.

— This is the tenth game of the year BYU has shot better than .500 (34-58, .586).

— The Rams’ .259 shooting in the second half (7-of-27) is the third-lowest percentage in a half by a BYU opponent.

— Colorado State converted on 1-of-13 three-point attempts, the lowest percentage and the fewest made threes against BYU this year.

— Only one Ram scored more than 7 points.

— BYU has now won 16-straight games at home and is 10-0 at home this season.

Record Watch

— With 14 points versus Colorado State, Jonathan Tavernari passed Marty Haws for 16th on the BYU all-time scoring list. Tavernari has 1,352 career points and is 21 points from passing Trent Plaisted for 15th all-time.

— With 4 steals tonight, Jonathan Tavernari has 138 career steals and is tied with Nate Call for 4th all-time.

— With 21 points versus Colorado State, Jimmer Fredette passed Mark Handy, Terrell Lyday, Gary Earnest and John Fairchild for 31st on the BYU all-time scoring list. Fredette has 1,119 career points and is 10 points from passing Steve Schreiner for 30th all-time.

Game Trends

— The Cougars went on a 17-2 run over the last 8:00 of the first half, taking a 38-22 lead after a one-point lead, 21-20, at the start of the run. At one point in the run, BYU scored 12 unanswered points.

— Colorado State went the last 8:07 of the first period without scoring a field goal. The Rams hit just two free throws during that time.

— The Rams also hit just one field goal in the first 5:46 of the second half. BYU outscored CSU 12-5 during that stretch. Including the 8:07 drought at the end of the first half, the Rams hit one field goal in 13:53 of consecutive play.

— BYU went on a 12-0 run over 2:17 midway through the second half, including six points by Fredette and four by Emery. BYU stretched its lead from 59-38 to 71-38 over that time.

BYU Head Coach Dave Rose

“I was really pleased with how our team responded in the first half against a great team and how they handled themselves throughout the whole game. During the second half we played terrific. It is a good win and we look forward to playing a tough Wyoming team next.”

“I have been really pleased with how this team has stuck together. These guys have great chemistry and it shows on the floor. This is a team that is playing together well and can overcome anything.”

“One of the things that has really helped our team defensively is our depth in the post position. Chris Miles, Brandon Davis, Noah Hartsock and James Anderson really give us power down low on defense.”

“In order to have a good team, you have to be the best from your number one player, down to the 13th. Brock is a tough, physical player who plays hard in practice and in a game situation. He leaves his heart on the court every day.”

“I believe that we are a team filled with competitors. Having said that, I don’t believe that they are fully satisfied yet. It’s a healthy feeling that we have and I really enjoy coaching players with this kind of attitude.”

Colorado State Coach Tim Miles

“I thought the game really started off fine, but after about eight minutes it was not fine. This BYU team is a special team, and they just are not recognized enough. I think tonight was mostly about how good BYU really is, because this is one of the best teams I’ve coached against.”

“They play really good, physical defense. They are always in good position, and they move really well. We turned it over too much, and that makes for a very long night.”

“BYU is one of the best teams I’ve ever coached against. Like I said before, this is a special team.”