BYU at Pepperdine: Game Notes and Quotes

• Brandon Davies scored a career-high 29 points with a lot of it coming from the free throw line, going a career-best 15 of 18 from the charity stripe. The junior has scored in double figures in 10-straight and 16 times this season. He also had 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks.
• With a free throw at the 8:04 mark Noah Hartsock scored his 1,000th career point. He is the 43rd player in BYU history to reach the 1,000-point mark. He finished with 20 points, 3 rebounds, 3 blocks and 1 steal.
• Charles Abouo scored 13 points in the first half, including streaks of 4-straight and 7-straight. He finished 15 points and was in double figures for the 13th game this year and fourth-straight. Abouo also had 9 boards and 4 assists.

• Head coach Dave Rose went with the starting lineup of Matt Carlino, Brock Zylstra, Charles Abouo, Noah Hartsock and Brandon Davies.
• BYU continued to share the ball, collecting assists on 14 of 23 makes for the game, including 11 of 15 in the first half.
• The Cougars had three players in double-figures in the first half on Abouo’s 13 points and Davies and Hartsock with 12 apiece. The same three were it in double figures for the night. Davies finished with a career-high 29 points, Hartsock added 20 and Abouo finished with 15. 
• BYU had one of its best nights from the free throw line this season, making a season-high 29 freebies on a season-high 38 attempts.

• BYU started the game cold, opening 1 of 7 from the field and trailed Pepperdine 11-2 in the first 3:28.
• The Cougars used a 12-0 run to take the lead  at 14-11 with 12:33 on the clock in the first half. BYU made 4 of 5 shots during the run. 
• Closing the half on a 15-3 run, the Cougars took a 42-29 lead into halftime.
• Pepperdine opened the second half on a 15-6 run and cut BYU’s lead to 48-44 in the first five minutes.
• BYU stretched the lead to 70-57 with 3:53 left in the second half from the free throw line, making 16 of 20 from the line in the second half to that point.

Head coach Dave Rose

“I thought our guys really competed tonight. We knew this was going to be a real grind it out kind of game.”

“The schedule is tough on these guys. You play a Saturday game and get on plane, play a Monday game and then we are back and the guys go to school. Then we play Thursday and then go back on the plane and play tonight. Four games in eight nights for a team that makes shots, and that’s what we do we are a shooting team, your legs just feel a little bit different.”

“We learned a lot from our game the other night and we threw it inside a lot. We’ll get back to playing like we are supposed to be playing when we get a little rest and get back on track. Tonight was a game we had to win and you have to figure out how any way you can.”

“What I think was a big difference was we had way more patience. There were a few possessions where we would take the ball inside and pass out and back in and out. A lot of it was patience and determination. A lot of guys knew Noah and Brandon would have a real advantage. I’m real proud of the guys.”

“That’s what (Pepperdine) decided to go to. It was kind of like what LMU did and Pepperdine wanted to be really physical in the post and not bring a second defender. Tonight our patience was so much better from our guards.”

“I think in theory I would love to play more guys. When you look at in-conference statistics from our guys off the bench, Craig Cusick and Nate Austin have been giving us a huge lift.”

“What is really important for our guys is when you are missing shots from the perimeter you still have to find ways to win games. You can’t just say we didn’t shoot the ball well and lose four or five games in a row. We have a lot of things affecting us now. You’ve got to figure out ways to win when you don’t get it going like that.”