BYU vs. Wyoming: Game Notes and Quotes

Player Notes

-Jimmer Fredette started hot for the Cougars, shooting 3-for-3 from three-point range and scoring 12 of BYU’s first 18 points in the first 5:30 of play. He finished the first half with 16 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist. Fredette added 22 in the second half for a game-high 38 points on 12-of-24 shooting.

-Starting for the first time since Feb. 5 against UNLV, Kyle Collinsworth provided a spark, scoring 6 points, grabbing 4 rebounds and handing out 1 assist in the first half.

-Stephen Rogers extended his team-leading free-throw streak to 22 after going 2-for-2 from the charity stripe.

-Logan Magnusson drew two charges in the first half to go along with 2 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. He finished with a career-high 4 assists with no turnovers.

-Charles Abouo led the offensive charge in the second half, going on a personal 8-0 run to give the Cougars a 48-39 lead at the 17:46 mark. He finished with a career-high 25 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 2 steals.

-Collinsworth finished with 11 points and a team-leading 8 rebounds.

Team Notes

-Seniors Jimmer Fredette, Jackson Emery and Logan Magnusson were honored before the game, their last in the Marriott Center as Cougars.

-The Cougars tallied 9 second-chance points in the first half compared to the Cowboys’ 2. BYU also out-rebounded Wyoming 21-15, including 8 offensive rebounds to 2.

-With the victory, the Cougars captured their 4th regular season MWC title in the last 5 years.

-4 of the 5 Cougar starters scored in double figures (Fredette-38, Abouo-25, Emery-18, Collinsworth-11).

Record Watch

-Fredette set a new BYU record by making a three-pointer in his 23rd-consecutive game.

-Shooting 4-of-9 from long range, Fredette passed Nick Jacobsen for third place on the MWC all-time three-point field goal attempts list.

-Fredette’s 38 points brings his career total to 2,395, 72 away from passing Danny Ainge for 1st all-time at BYU.

Game Trends

-Scoring was back-and-forth to begin the game, with both teams shooting a high percentage from the field (Wyoming .667 (6-9), BYU .750 (6-8)).

-The Cougars went on an 8-0 run to take a 28-20 lead at the 7:30 mark of the first half.

-The Cowboys answered with a 15-10 run to make the score 38-35 going into halftime.

-BYU started the second half with a 12-0, run highlighted by Abouo’s 8 points, to make the score 53-39 with 16:46 remaining in the game.

-Fredette scored 16 straight points during a 6-minute stretch in the second half, giving the Cougars a 72-61 lead at the 9:59 mark. The Cougars would go on to lead by as much as 25.

Postgame Quotes

BYU head coach Dave Rose

“We were as committed to winning as a group as I have seen us in a long time. We weren’t offensively having a lot of success in the first half but we were going after every lose ball, getting rebounds and diving on the floor. I think that energy spread throughout the team and we showed everyone how committed we are to getting this done.”

“The second half was a lot better. We played terrific. Charles got us off to a great start. Offensively we shot a great percentage, we scored and defensively and we rebounded the ball well.”

“I’m happy for these players because championships are hard to win, but they last forever so this is something that these players will always have.”

BYU guard Jimmer Fredette

“It was a great way to go out. We had one thing in mind and that was to win a championship. We knew it was going to be a tough game because it’s hard to win championships. Teams don’t want to back down, they don’t want to let you do it, but we had a great home crowd tonight. Everyone was really energized and in the second half we really got it going.”

“We’ve had some highs and lows obviously with everything that has been going on but right now it’s great. Right now we’re just focusing on continuing to play well. We’re going to enjoy this for a couple more days and then we’ll come back on Monday and be ready to go. This has been a great year, we’ve only had three losses so I don’t think you could ask for much more.”

On playing last game in the Marriott Center:

“It hasn’t quite hit me yet. I’m sure it will sometime after the season is over. It feels like we’ll come out and do this again next week, but we know that we’re not. We’re moving on and going on to the tournament, but it’s been an unbelievable time here. I’ve had a great career and it’s been a lot of fun.”

On Brandon Davies:

“It meant a lot to have him there. He’s like a brother to us and we’ve had a lot of good times together. He’s been here two years with us and he’s a huge part of this team. To have him on the sideline feels right. It feels right to have him there with us enjoying this moment instead of him not being there. It felt different during that New Mexico game not having him there. He’s a great kid, we all love him and wish him the best so I was glad he was there.”

BYU guard Jackson Emery

“It’s been a roller coaster. We came off the win at San Diego State and then at the beginning of the week everything happened, but it’s been great. That’s part of life. You have your ups and your downs but you just move on. It was great to have Brandon on the sideline with us to enjoy this moment with us because he deserves it as much as anyone on this team. To have him cut down the net, that was a special moment and it was just great for the whole team to be there together and enjoy this moment because this is why we worked so hard during the summer.”

On Charles Abouo:

“I thought Charles did great. I think the reason we have been playing so well of late is because of Charles and the contributions he makes on the defensive and offensive side. He’s so strong when he drives to the basket and that’s why we need him is to get in there and get rebounds and at the same time finish and to create that energy. He did a terrific job today.”