Game 15 - Cougars Host Fresno Pacific in Nonconference Game

Cougars to Host Fresno Pacific in Final NonConference Game

No. 16/16 BYU basketball will play its final nonconference game of the season when it hosts Fresno Pacific in a New Years Day matchup on Saturday in the Marriott Center at 7 p.m. MT. The Cougars have won three-straight games — two of which have been on the road — and are 13-1 overall. The Cougars are coming off a 90-82 win at Buffalo in which Jimmer Fredette scored 28 of his season-high 34 points in the second half. For the season he is averaging 24.9 points and 4.4 assists per game. Noah Hartsock scored 19 points at Buffalo and hit a career-best three threes to go with six boards and three blocks. Fresno Pacific plays in the NAIA is 10-3 on the season (the Sunbirds play at UC Santa Barbara on Friday at 2 p.m. PT). Jordan Wild leads Fresno Pacific in scoring and rebounding at 12.8 points and 7.8 boards per game while Deshaun Legree adds 10.6 points and Jerante Rosario adds 10.5 points per game. Saturday’s game can be heard live on KSL Newsradio beginning with the pregame show at 6 p.m. MT on 102.7 FM and 1160 AM out of Salt Lake City or via the Internet at KSL.com.

Up Next

BYU will open Mountain West Conference play on Wednesday, Jan. 5, when the Cougars play at UNLV. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT. Live stats and audio links will be available on www.byucougars.com and fans can listen live on the radio beginning with the pregame show at 6 p.m. ET on KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM and 1160 AM out of Salt Lake City. The game will be televised live on CBS College Sports.

Cougar Quick Hits

— No. 16/16 BYU head coach Dave Rose is 140-41 in his six seasons at BYU and is the program’s all-time leader in winning percentage at .773 and third in wins.

— The Cougars were ranked in the AP Preseason Poll for the first time since the 1980-81 season and are currently ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.

— Jimmer Fredette has been named to eight preseason All-America teams (AP, ESPN.com, Sporting News, SI.com/Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times, Athlon Sports, Dick Vitale and Blue Ribbon Magazine). Fredette is averaging 24.9 points, 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game this season.

— Senior guard Jackson Emery is second on the team in scoring at 11.8 points per game and adds 3.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and a team-best 3.1 steals per game. He has posted four-plus steals seven times this season. Brandon Davies is third on the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game on .571 shooting. He has scored in double figures eight times this season, including the last six-consecutive games.

BYU GAME #15 FAST FACTS

No. 16/16 BYU (13-1, 0-0) vs. Fresno PAcific (10-3, 0-0)

Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011

Marriott Center

Provo, Utah

7 p.m. MT

Coaches

BYU, Dave Rose (140-41 in sixth season at BYU; same overall)

Fresno Pacific, Chris Wright (10-3 in first season at Fresno Pacific; same overall)

Series

First meeting

Radio

KSL Newsradio (102.7 FM/1160 AM) and the Cougar Sports Network

(Greg Wrubell, play-by-play; Mark Durrant, analysis)

Web

Live audio and live stats links are available on the men’s basketball schedule page at www.byucougars.com/basketball_m/

Looking at Fresno Pacific

2010-11 Record: 10-3, 3-1

Conference: Golden State Athletic Conference

2009-10 Record: 25-9, 13-7 (T-4th)

2010 Postseason: NAIA Second Round

Highlights:

- Fresno Pacific is 10-3 overall and 3-1 in the Golden State Athletic Conference. The Sunbirds have won five-straight games, with four of those five coming at home.

- Three players average double figures for Fresno Pacific, led by Jordan Wild’s 12.8 points per game. Wild also leads the team in rebounds at 7.8 per game and shoots .517 from the field.

- Fresno Pacific averages 73.7 points per game and shoots .461 from the field and .327 from three.

Coach: Chris Wright (1st season at Fresno Pacific)

Fresno Pacific’s Last Outing — Fresno PAcific Defeats Menlo

Fresno Pacific fell behind 14-2 early, but came back to defeat Menlo 64-45 on Tuesday night. Brandon Rowe scored a season-high 22 points in the win.

The Sunbirds forced 26 turnovers, with Jordan Wild picking up eight steals. Wild also scored 11 points, and Jerante Morgan and Kendall Holmes added 10 points apiece. Adam Kado had a game-high six assists.

Menlo (3-9) scored the game’s first 12 points and led 14-2, but FPU (10-3) went on a 28-8 run to close the half. The Sunbirds then locked down the visiting Oaks in the second half, holding Menlo to just six field goals and 27 percent shooting.

Rowe was a force all night for the Sunbirds, contributing on offense and defense. It was a breakout game for the junior guard whose previous season-high was 13 points.

“Brandon played really really well,” said coach Chris Wright. “Hopefully this was a preview of things to come.”

FPU outscored the Oaks 35-12 in the paint and shot 77 percent from the free-throw line.

Series Notes

First meeting between BYU and Fresno Pacific.