Game 31 - Cougars to Battle Utes in Deseret First Duel

Cougars and Utes to Battle in Deseret First Duel

No. 14/15 BYU men’s basketball (26-4, 11-3 MWC) will play at rival Utah in the Deseret First Duel on Wednesday, March 3, at 7 p.m. MST. The Cougars can claim the Deseret First Duel team trophy with a win over the Utes. The game can be heard live on KSL Newsradio beginning with the pregame show at 6 p.m. MST on 102.7 FM and 1160 AM or via the Internet at KSL.com. The game will be televised live on CBS College Sports.

Up Next

The Cougars conclude the regular season at TCU on Saturday, March 6, at 5 p.m. CST. Listen to the game live on the radio beginning with the pregame show at 4 p.m. CST on KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM and 1160 AM or via the Internet at KSL.com. The game will be televised live on The Mtn.

Cougar Quick Hits

— At 26-4 overall, BYU has surpassed last season’s win total (25) and has the best record in program history through 30 games. This also marks the fourth-straight season with 25-plus wins, a first in program history.

— Jimmer Fredette set BYU single-game records with 49 points and nine threes against Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl Classic in Tucson, Ariz., at the McKale Center. BYU handed Arizona its worst loss at the McKale Center, 99-69.

— Fredette is tied for 16th all-time in scoring at BYU with 1,372 career points. He leads the conference in scoring at 21.1 points per game. He is also fourth at BYU in career threes (161), 10th in assists (330) and 12th in steals (112).

— Junior guard Jackson Emery has 78 steals this season, a BYU record for steals in a season. The previous record was 66, set by Marty Haws in 1989-90.

— Two-time MWC Coach of the Year Dave Rose has guided BYU to three-straight MWC regular season titles and three-straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. Under Rose, BYU also has five-straight 20-win seasons and four-straight postseason appearances. At 123-38 (.764) overall, he is BYU’s all-time leader in winning percentage.

— Senior forward Jonathan Tavernari became BYU’s all-time leader in three-pointers with two treys vs. San Francisco to give him 214. He is now at 253 after hitting two threes vs. San Diego State. He is also climbing the lists for points (12th with 1,470) and steals (3rd with 154).

— With the win vs. San Diego State, Jonathan Tavernari played in his 99th BYU victory — first in school history. Tavernari’s teams have won 103 games, the best four-year stretch in program history.

BYU Game #31 Fast Facts

No. 14/15 BYU (26-4, 11-3) at Utah (14-14, 7-7)

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Hunstman Center (15,000)

Salt Lake City, Utah

7 p.m. MST

Coaches

BYU, Dave Rose (123-38 in fifth season; same overall)

Utah, Jim Boylen (56-39 in third season; same overall)

Series

Utah leads 125-124, with the Cougars winning 82-69 in Provo on Jan. 30, 2010

TV

Live on CBS C (Tom Hart, play-by-play; Steve Lappas, game analysis)

Radio

KSL Newsradio (102.7 FM/1160 AM and online at KSL.com) and the Cougar Sports Network (6 p.m. MST pregame show — Greg Wrubell, play-by-play; Mark Durrant, game analysis)

Web

Live stats links are available on the basketball schedule page at www.byucougars.com/basketball_m/

Looking at Utah

Utah is 14-14 overall and 7-7 in the Mountain West Conference. The Utes have won two straight, 54-43 at Air Force and 74-64 against Wyoming at home. BYU defeated Utah 82-69 in the first meeting this season on Jan. 30 in Provo. Carlon Brown averages 13.3 points to lead Utah in scoring while Marshall Henderson adds 12.1 ppg and Luka Drca adds 10.3 ppg. Henderson has hit a team-best 63 threes while Drca leads the team in assists (3.3). Jay Watkins adds 9.4 ppg and 4.3 rpg while Kim Tillie averages 7.2 ppg and a team-high 5.4 rpg. David Foster leads the conference in blocks at 4.1 per contest while also contributing 4.7 ppg and 4.9 rpg. As a team Utah averages 67.1 ppg and shoots .437 from the field, .327 from three and .745 from the free throw line. Opponents average 65.6 ppg, shoot .408 from the field, .299 from three and .697 from the free throw line. Opponents out-rebound Utah 34.3 to 34.6. Jim Boylen is in his third season at Utah where he is 56-39.

Utah’s Last Outing — Utah Pulls Away From Wyoming 74-64

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)-- Luka Drca scored 10 of his 17 points in the final six minutes to help Utah pull away from Wyoming for a 74-64 victory Saturday.

Drca scored the Utes’ last field goal, a 3-pointer with 3:58 remaining, to give them a 64-56 lead. The Utes (14-14, 7-7 Mountain West Conference) then converted 10-of-12 free throws down the stretch to secure the win.

Desmar Jackson scored a career-high 31 points for the Cowboys (9-19, 2-12), who lost their eighth straight and for the 11th time in 12 games. Wyoming’s only win during that stretch was at home against Utah.

Carlon Brown scored 16 points, and Shawn Glover added 10 points as the Utes won consecutive games for the first time since early January.

Utah outrebounded Wyoming 37-26, and the Cowboys finished 1 of 13 from 3-point range.

Series Notes

Utah leads the all-time series against BYU 125-124. BYU won the first meeting this season 82-69 in Provo behind 36 points from Jimmer Fredette. The Cougars are 12-30 at the Hunstman Center. Dave Rose is 7-3 against Utah.

New Record for Thievery

With a steal at Colorado State, Jackson Emery broke the BYU record for steals in a single season. The record was previously held by Marty Haws, who had 66 steals in 1989-90. Emery now has 78 steals this season.

33-Point Games

Jimmer Fredette’s 36 points at Colorado State was his fifth game with 33-plus points this season. He is fifth all-time in BYU history for 33-point games and his five this season are the most by a BYU junior in a single season and the third-most in any BYU season. Devin Durrant had 11 33-point games as a senior in 1983-84 and Dick Nemelka had six as a senior in 1965-66.

1,600 Wins

BYU’s 76-56 win over TCU was the 1,600th victory in program history. BYU is the 19th program in NCAA history to win 1,600 games. Oregon State, Washington, Louisville and Texas also reached the plateau this season. The Cougars are currently at 1,604 wins.

Best Record Through 29 Games

At 26-4 overall, BYU men’s basketball has the best record in program history through 30 games. The 1987-88 team held the previous best record in program history through 30 games at 26-4. See below for the other best records through 30 games.

In the Rankings

BYU men’s basketball entered the top-25 rankings for the first time this season on Jan. 4 at No. 25 in the AP Poll and No. 23 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Cougars are currently ranked No. 14 in the AP Poll and No. 15 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. BYU has been ranked as high as No. 12 in the AP Poll and No. 10 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Rose has led his teams to the rankings in each of the last four seasons to become the first Cougar coach to lead BYU into the rankings in four-straight seasons. The Cougar basketball program has now been ranked in the AP Poll during 18 seasons.

BYU as a Ranked Team

BYU owns a 149-61 record as a ranked team, including 12-3 this season. The Cougars are 86-13 at home, 41-30 on the road and 22-18 at neutral sites when nationally ranked. BYU is 21-9 as a ranked team under Dave Rose.

1,000-Point Scorers

With eight points vs. New Mexico, Jonathan Tavernari has 1,470 career points and is 12th all-time in scoring at BYU. He is 43 points from passing Kresimir Cosic for 11th all-time. After scoring six points vs. New Mexico, Jimmer Fredette has 1,372 career points — tied for 16th all-time with Trent Plaisted. He is four points from passing Roland Minson for 15th all-time.

Downtown Record Watch

Jonathan Tavernari hit two threes vs. San Francisco to become BYU’s all-time leader in career threes, passing Mark Bigelow who had 213 for his career. He is also the leader for career attempts. Tavernari owns the record for threes in a season with 88 in 2007-08. He now has 253 makes and 669 attempts. Jimmer Fredette is fourth with 161 makes and is third with 401 attempts.

Top-10 Pick Pockets

Senior forward Jonathan Tavernari had one steal vs. New Mexico to give him 154 for his career. He is third all-time in BYU history. Jackson Emery is sixth with 135 while Jimmer Fredette is 12th with 112.

When Jimmer Scores 20...

Jimmer Fredette had 26 points vs. San Diego State, his 18th 20-point game this season and 26th of his career. He has reached 33-plus points five times this season. BYU is 22-4 when Fredette scores 20 or more points.

BYU Freshman Scoring Leaders

With 357 points this season, Tyler Haws is on pace to become one of the highest scoring freshmen in BYU history. He is currently seventh, trailing Devin Durrant by 13 points.