SPOKANE, Wash. – BYU made 10 first half 3-pointers but it wasn’t enough as the Cougars dropped a 110-84 decision to No. 2 Gonzaga on Thursday evening at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash. 

"Gonzaga is really good. They are really good at home," said head coach Mark Pope. "We just couldn't find a defensive answer tonight. Our guys fought and competed, but we just couldn't find an answer."

The Cougars shot 43.2 percent from the field, 44.8 percent from beyond the arc and 70.0 percent from the free throw line but were outdone by Gonzaga, who became the first team to shot over 60 percent against BYU since Dec. 22, 2005.

Alex Barcello finished with a team-high 19 points as he went 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, giving him 24 games with three or more 3-pointers, tied for the eighth most in program history.

Caleb Lohner also reached double figures for the fifth time this season, as he had 17 points and five rebounds, while Te’Jon Lucas chipped in 10 points of his own.

The Cougars led for 4 minutes, 12 seconds of the opening eight minutes of the first half before Gonzaga went on a 21-5 run to take control of the game. During that run, Gonzaga went 3-of-5 from 3-point range as they shot 66.7 percent from downtown in the first half.

BYU went into halftime only trailing by 13, 61-49, as Gideon George hit one of his two 3-pointers, followed by an old-fashioned 3-point play from Barcello.

Much like the opening minutes of the game, BYU started fast in the second half with five straight points, including a 3-pointer on the opening possession from Barcello. Following a miss from Chet Holmgren, Fousseyni Traore scored on a layup for the Cougars, off a nice pass from Lucas to cut the lead to seven, 61-54.

The Cougars were unable to keep the momentum going, as a dunk from Holmgren ignited a 19-6 run for the home team that pushed BYU’s deficit over 20 with less than 13 minutes remaining in regulation.

BYU returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 15, when they take on San Francisco  at 9 p.m. MST. Watch the game on CBS Sports Network or listen to the play-by-play call on BYU Radio or the BYU Sports Network/KSL 1160 AM/102.7 FM.

PROVO, Utah – BYU hits the road for the first time in West Coast Conference play with a trip to The Evergreen State to face No. 2 Gonzaga on Thursday, Jan. 13. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. MST at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Wash.

Thursday’s contest will be broadcast on ESPN2. It will also be broadcast live on BYU Sports Network on the BYU Radio – Sirius XM 143/89.1 FM HD2 and KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM.

BYU Notes (14-3, 2-0 West Coast Conference)

• BYU opened WCC play 2-0 for the first time since 2016-17 with a 52-43 win over Saint Mary’s on Saturday at the Marriott Center. It was the Cougars third straight win over the Gaels as they improved to 14-3 on the season.
• Fousseyni Traore was named the WCC Freshman of the Week for the second this season on Tuesday after averaging 10.5 points 11 rebounds and two blocks in the opening week of WCC play. Since being inserted to the starting lineup against Liberty at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, the 6-foot-6 forward has recorded a pair of double-doubles.

Head Coach – Mark Pope

• Alma Mater: Kentucky, 1996
• Division I Career Record: 135-73 (7th Season)
• Record at BYU: 58-18 (3rd Season)

No. 2 Gonzaga Notes (12-2, 1-0 West Coast Conference)

• Gonzaga moved up to second in the AP and Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll following a 117-83 win over Pacific in their WCC opener to improve to 12-2 on the season.
• Gonzaga has won 60 straight games at the McCarthey Athletic Center dating back to the 2017-18 season.

Head Coach – Mark Few

• Alma Mater: Oregon, 1987
• Division I Career Record: 642-127 (23rd season)
• Record at Gonzaga Same (Same)

Series Information

• Series Record: Gonzaga leads 21-7
• Last Meeting: Gonzaga won 88-78, March 9, 2021
• H/A/N: 3-6/3-7/1-7

Broadcast Information

• TV: ESPN2
• TV Talent: Dave Flemming, Jay Bilas
• Radio: BYU Sports Network, BYU Radio Sirius XM 143/89.1 FM HD2, KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM
• Streamed Audio: BYURadio.org, BYUCougars.com/LiveRadio and the BYU Radio, BYU Cougars and BYU Gameday apps
• Radio Talent: Greg Wrubell, Mark Durrant
• Live stats: BYUCougars.com