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MORAGA, California — For BYU, Saturday’s recreation at Saint Mary’s served as an enormous alternative for the Cougars, who've been sitting precariously on the NCAA Match bubble.
It was an opportunity to maintain their at-large match hopes alive. It was an opportunity to reinforce their Huge Dance resume with a Quad 1 showdown on the highway.
In a typical, bodily BYU-Saint Mary’s recreation, the Cougars battled again from a 16-point deficit within the second half and had alternatives to upset the Gaels.
However, in the long run, Saint Mary’s held off BYU 69-64 at College Credit score Union Pavilion.
And now, it seems BYU’s at-large hopes have been dashed.
“It’s an terrible loss. It’s a very painful loss. It hurts us loads. However how might you not be extra pleased with these guys by way of how exhausting they struggle?” mentioned coach Mark Pope.
“You’re on the highway towards a very good group. It’s our third highway recreation in a row. Typically it occurs. We simply didn’t play properly sufficient, however we fought exhausting. I’m tremendous pleased with our guys.”
Whereas Saint Mary’s was led by guard Tommy Kuhse, who scored a game-high 25 factors, together with 4 of 8 from 3-point vary, Cougar guard Alex Barcello completed with a team-high 22 factors.
Barcello helped carry BYU (19-9, 7-6) again from a 62-45 deficit with eight minutes remaining. He knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:47 left to tug the Cougars to inside 67-64.
However BYU by no means scored once more. Barcello missed a few 3-pointers over the ultimate 34 seconds.
“These are simply exhausting pictures. He’s acquired 4 individuals guarding him on each possession. They’re exhausting,” Pope mentioned of Barcello.
“I believed he performed his guts out. He has to take such exhausting pictures to get them off. A few them have been tremendous shut. They simply didn’t go on. That’s life on the highway towards good groups. Typically that occurs. His struggle and tenacity is unimpeachable. It’s actually particular.”
Freshman Fousseyni Traore, who suffered a groin harm late within the time beyond regulation win towards Loyola Marymount on Feb. 10 and was sidelined for BYU’s win over Pepperdine on Feb. 12, didn’t follow early within the week however he was in a position to follow later within the week and he began Saturday.
In 25 minutes of motion, Traore scored 4 factors, grabbed 5 rebounds and had 5 turnovers towards Saint Mary’s.
“I believed he was good. It’s a tough setting for a younger man,” Pope mentioned of Traore. “We had a tough time defending the ball. That’s youth, proper? However he hadn’t crossed halfcourt in follow in any respect earlier than this recreation. I believed he battled and I believed he fought actually exhausting. I’m tremendous pleased with him.”
Seneca Knight scored 10 factors, whereas Caleb Lohner had 9 factors and 11 rebounds. Gideon George ended up with 9 factors and 6 rebounds, whereas Te’Jon Lucas had eight factors, 4 assists and 5 turnovers.
Whereas the Cougars — who by no means had a lead all night time — outrebounded the Gaels 34-26, BYU had 17 turnovers and Saint Mary’s scored 16 factors off of these giveaways.
Since becoming a member of the West Coast Convention in 2011-12, the Cougars have solely received twice in Moraga — in 2014 and final season.
Saint Mary’s snapped a three-game dropping streak towards BYU. The Gaels, who misplaced to the Cougars 52-43 in Provo final month, hadn’t overwhelmed BYU since a 51-50 choice within the 2020 WCC Match semifinals.
Going into the night time, Saint Mary’s was No. 19 within the NCAA’s NET rankings coming into the day whereas BYU checked in at No. 51.
Saturday, each time Saint Mary’s (22-6, 10-3) tried to take management of the sport, BYU rallied.
The Cougars trailed 8-2 early on however Knight and Barcello drilled back-to-back 3s to tie the sport. Later, the Gaels went up 25-16 however BYU responded with an 8-0 run, capped by a layup by Lucas with 5 minutes remaining within the half.
However the Cougars had no reply for Kuhse, who scored 20 factors within the first half, together with 3 of 4 from 3-point vary.
Kuhse scored a layup with two seconds remaining on the clock as Saint Mary’s led at halftime, 34-30.
Within the second half, BYU tied the sport at 40-apiece on the 17:20 mark on Seneca Knight’s bucket, however he missed the following and-on on the free throw line.
The Gaels went on an 11-0 run over a three-minute stretch to take a 57-44 benefit. That included consecutive 3-pointers by Kyle Bowen.
That lead was prolonged to 62-46 and it appeared the Cougars have been completed.
“We went by means of a bit turnover spell. Typically it occurs in a recreation, … you need to repair it so unhealthy that you simply put your self in hurt’s method. We gave up two or three transition buckets in a row,” Pope mentioned.
“We acquired caught in rotations and switching a bit bit they usually knocked down a couple of nook 3s. It was a bit little bit of a snowball impact. We have been making an attempt a bit bit too exhausting to assist our group on the offensive finish and put ourselves in unhealthy conditions on the defensive finish.”
BYU stored chipping away on the deficit, however the Cougars might by no means get a lead. Saint Mary’s scored just one area purpose over the ultimate 4:24 of the sport however the Gaels clamped down defensively within the waning minutes.
“I couldn’t be extra pleased with the blokes’ struggle. To come back in right here and out-rebound them on the offensive glass and the defensive glass and sort of battle the entire night time,” Pope mentioned.
“We acquired down however we stayed with it. I couldn’t be extra pleased with the blokes that method. They simply confirmed big-time character and big-time struggle. We simply weren’t adequate to win.”
BYU hosts Loyola Marymount Thursday.