BYU vs. Mississippi Valley State: Game Notes and Quotes

Player Notes

-Jimmer Fredette had a hand in BYU’s first five field goals, scoring twice himself and assisting the other three baskets.

-James Anderson provided a much-needed spark for the Cougars recording 3 points, 4 rebounds, a block and a drawn charge in 5 minutes of play in the first half. Anderson finished with 9 points, 5 rebounds and 1 block.

-Four players scored in double-digits for BYU. Jimmer Fredette led the Cougars with 16 points but was followed closely by Jackson Emery with 15, Brandon Davies with 13 and Noah Hartsock with 12.

-Kyle Collinsworth had 2 steals in the game making his fourth straight game with at least two steals.

-Emery posted 5 steals in the victory. Emery has recorded 8 games over the course of his career with 5 steals or more.

-Brandon Davies posted his first season and second career double-double and the team’s first season double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Davies’ 10 rebounds tied his career high posted against Air Force last year. Davies also recorded 3 blocks which ties a career high set at Air Force as well.

-Charles Abouo set a new career high in rebounds with 10. Abouo had previously posted 8 rebounds three times.

Team Notes

-Coach Dave Rose started the same starting five for the third-straight game with Fredette, Jackson Emery, Charles Abouo, Noah Hartsock and C. Collinsworth getting the call.

-The 50-point victory was the first time BYU has won by 50 points since a 57-point victory over Eastern Washington on December 19, 2009.

Record Watch

-With 7:56 remaining in the first half, Jimmer Fredette hit Brock Zylstra for an open layup and the assist moved Fredette from 8th to 7th in all-time assists history for the Cougars. Fredette has recorded 376 assists during his four years at BYU.

-The Delta Devils’ 10 first half points ties the BYU record for fewest points in a half. Air Force also scored 10 points against BYU during the 2002-2003 season. In that game Air Force made 4 field goals but the Cougars held Mississippi Valley State to 3 field goals in the first half.

Game Trends

-With the score 19-7, Jackson Emery ignited the Cougar faithful hitting three consecutive three-pointers. Nick Martineau hit a trey of his own to give BYU a 31-7 lead.

-From the 12:32 mark to the last second of the first half, Mississippi Valley State had three points while the Cougars went on a 31-3 run.

-BYU defeated the Delta Devils by 50 points, their largest margin of victory this season.

Postgame Quotes

BYU Head Coach Dave Rose

“I thought defensively it was about as good a performance as we’ve have had in a long time. I thought we were consistently challenging shots to make it difficult for them and when they drove I thought our posts were very active. On their attack penetration we made it really hard for them to get a good look at the basket. We rebounded very well and I was really pleased with our defense.”

“Offensively, we played really well in spurts. We got off to a really slow start and we had six or seven turnovers in the first eight minutes of the game. But we did better later in the game of making easier plays and not turning the ball over. All-in-all I was pleased and I’m looking forward to the next game.”

“I think we played more consistently defensively which is a good sign. I think rebounding-wise this team has shown in the first four games that we’re capable. But we’ll probably have a real tough test against South Florida, a Big East opponent. That’s kind of where they make their living, is rebounding the basketball.”

Senior Guard Jackson Emery

“It took us a little while to get going but I thought defensively we were terrific. If at times we aren’t hitting shots, we’re a little flat, and we depend on hitting shots because it creates a lot of intensity and emotion for us. Unfortunately, at the beginning we weren’t hitting shots but we were able to get the ball into the post and our big guys made some big plays to get us going.”

“Coach Rose obviously wasn’t happy but more than anything he wasn’t happy with the sloppy play. He knew we were playing hard but turnovers in transition and easy plays not being made were what he was most frustrated with.”