BYU vs. Air Force: Game Notes and Quotes

Player Notes

-Noah Hartsock carried the Cougars early, scoring 4 points and grabbing 6 rebounds in the first 8 minutes of play.

-Hartsock came 4 rebounds shy of tying his career high in the first half, grabbing 9. He also added 6 points and 1 assist.

-Charles Abouo provided a spark off the bench, scoring 6 points with 3 rebounds in 8 minutes of play in the first half.

-Fredette converted on 3-of-3 three-point play opportunities and recorded his 43rd career 20-point game. He finished with 22 points and BYU is 12-1 this season when he scores 20 or more points.

-Nine of the 10 Cougars who checked into the game scored, led by Fredette, who scored a game-high 22.

-With a three-pointer at the 2:07 mark in the second half, Noah Hartsock moved into double digits in scoring with 12 and posted his 3rd-career double-double, grabbing 11 rebounds.

Team Notes

-For the second game in a row, BYU starters included Fredette, Emery, K. Collinsworth, Hartsock and Davies. That starting lineup is now 7-1 this season.

-The Marriott Center was sold out for the second time this season, the first coming in the home opener against Fresno State.

-The Cougars shot .864 (19-22) from the free-throw line, their second best average of the season and (best .875 vs. Fresno Pacific).

Record Watch

-Dave Rose recorded his 143rd victory at the helm of the Cougars. He currently sits in 3rd place all-time at BYU, 9 wins behind Roger Reid.

-Rose now has 66 career MWC victories, 17 behind Steve Fisher of San Diego State for 1st place among MWC coaches.

-With 13:36 remaining in the first half, Emery recorded his 195th-career steal, moving him into a tie with Danny Ainge for 1st place all time at BYU.

Game Trends

-The Cougars carried a 37-30 lead into halftime. BYU has only trailed twice at halftime this season.

-BYU started the second half with a 14-5 run, taking a 51-35 lead with 16:35 remaining, it’s biggest up to that point.

-The Falcons pulled within 9 at the 4:24 mark on the heels of a 7-1 run.

-The Cougars’ biggest lead came at the 14:10 mark in the second half after a Kyle Collinsworth free throw put the Cougars up 58-40.

Postgame Quotes

BYU Head Coach Dave Rose

“It was a hard fought game but we were well prepared and we played hard. Air Force is a very physical team. They sped us up a little bit and we didn’t shoot the ball as well as we are capable of but it was another one of those games where our guys found a way to win and that’s really important. This was another good week for us and we’re looking forward to the game on Tuesday.”

“I think the pace of the game was affected by the number of fouls called but it was a physical game and both teams played physical. We were able to get to the free throw line and convert our free throws which was a big plus for us in the game.”

Air Force Coach Jeff Reynolds

“I thought we fought through a lot of adversity today. BYU just had too many weapons to give up offensive rebounds like we did throughout the game. Brandon Davies really sparked them near the end of the game. In the end we battled hard but couldn’t come out with a win.”

“Jimmer is just uncanny. You can play him tough and he still gets his points. The minute you relax on him he makes shots and he is just a terrific player.”

“Going into the game we wanted to keep it close and be in it down the stretch and I thought we did that. We had it within 10 with six or seven minutes left and just couldn’t close the gap. It just gets demoralizing when you get a defensive stop and then they get an offensive board and that happened several times.”

“We tried to be conservative on offense and run some clock at times to prevent them from going on a run. They are great at scoring points fast and I thought our offensive strategy helped prevent that to a point.”