BYU vs. UNLV: Game Notes and Quotes

Player Notes

-Jimmer Fredette scored 8 points in the first 9 minutes of the game, 4 of which came from the charity stripe after making four technical free throws.

-Jackson Emery bounced back from two lackluster shooting performances to score 7 points, tally 3 steals, grab 3 rebounds and hand out 3 assists in the first 14 minutes of play. Emery finished with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and one turnover.

-In the second half, Davies took 2 charges and blocked 3 shots.

-Fredette led the team in scoring and assists with 29 points and 7 assists.

-Stephen Rogers and Charles Abouo provided solid minutes for the Cougars off the bench each playing over 20 minutes while scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively. Rogers also led the team in rebounds with 8.

Team Notes

-In the first half, BYU recorded 8 assists its first 11 field goals. The Cougars average 14.7 assists per game. BYU also committed just 5 turnovers in the half.

-The Cougars shot 96% from the free throw line on 24-for-25 shooting in the game. Fredette shot a perfect 16-for-16 from the line. BYU shot 92.9% from the charity stripe in the first half on 13-for-14 shooting.

-The Cougars held the Rebels season leading scorer Chace Stanback to just 3 points in the first half. Stanback normally averages 13 points a game.

-BYU tallied 6 blocks as a team after previously averaging 4.0 blocks per game.

-The Cougars capitalized on the Rebels turnovers with 20 points off turnovers while the Rebels only scored 11 points off turnovers. BYU also scored 14 points on fast breaks while UNLV only scored 6.

Record Watch

-With 3:28 remaining in the game, Fredette passed Brandon Heath to become the leading scorer in Mountain West Conference history with 2,190 career points. Fredette reached the mark on a three-point play. Heath scored 2,189 points during his career at San Diego State from 2003-07.

-Fredette’s 458 assists move him past Jay Straight of Wyoming for 3rd place all time in MWC history.

-With 42.6 seconds remaining in the first half, Fredette made three free throws to move him into second place all-time in the MWC for free throws made in a career with 523 made free throws. Luke Nevill previously held the second place spot with 520.

-Jimmer Fredette now holds the record for the best free throw percentage in one game while attempting the greatest number of shots as the senior guard shot 16-for-16 from behind the charity stripe. Andy Toolson previously shot 100% against California in 1989 on 14-for-14 shooting. He also tied Mikeli Wesley and Kresimir Cosic for 2nd place all-time at BYU for most free throws made in a game.

Game Trends

-With 13:50 remaining, Carlos Lopez was called for a technical foul after a loose ball battle led to some extracurricular activity. Less than two minutes later, Quintrell Thomas did not like a foul called down low and was called for another technical foul. Jimmer Fredette converted all four technical free throws.

-With UNLV leading 8-7, the Cougars went on an 11-0 run to take an 18-8 lead with 11:23 remaining in the first half.

-In the second half, the Rebels fought back several times but were unable to cut the BYU lead to less than 8 points.

Postgame Quotes

BYU Head Coach Dave Rose

“I think that game was exactly what we thought it would be going in where you have two teams playing each other for the second time and they are both very familiar with each other. For a game where shooting percentages were, for both teams, a little low, it was a well-played and hard-fought game. Both teams competed really well and it was physical. We had a really hard time keeping them off the offensive glass but we were able to make enough plays to win so we’re pleased.”

“This team is made up of competitive guys. They rely on each other and trust each other so when it’s time to make a play they feel responsible to figure out a way to make that play. They did that on both ends of the floor today in critical times.”

“I really like the senior leadership of our two guards. The two guys have been through it all and they seem to come out on the positive side quite a bit.”

UNLV Head Coach Lon Kruger

“The effort and the fight from our players was there, but BYU played very well and we need to give them credit. BYU won the battle with effective scoring and good defense.”

“We didn’t shoot the ball very well and needed a few guys to hit some shots to get a confidence boost. We shot better in the second half, but just gave up too many big plays on the fast break.”

“Fredette is a really good player. He can score, but he also makes the rest of the team around him better. He is more than just a scorer and that makes him tough to stop.”

“Early on we started to pay a little too much attention to the calls being made. I think it distracted us a bit and after the technicals it took us a bit to get our head back in the game.”