BYU’s Gideon George (5) blocks a shot try from Pacific’s Cam Denson through the Cougars’ 81-66 win over the Tigers on the Marriott Heart in Provo, Utah, on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. BYU Picture
Every week in the past, BYU sat in a sixth-place tie within the West Coast Convention standings and was within the throes of a three-game dropping streak.
However after an 81-66 victory over Pacific Saturday, preceded by an 89-61 victory Thursday over Loyola Marymount, the Cougars (16-10, 6-5) are step by step climbing. They've a profitable document in league play once more.
With 4 weeks to go earlier than the WCC Match ideas off at Orleans Area in Las Vegas, BYU is in a third-place tie with LMU.
“I believe we are able to really feel ourselves getting higher,” coach Mark Pope stated after Saturday’s win. “We’re beginning to perform offensively higher. We didn’t shoot it nice (towards Pacific) however we had nice pictures. We really feel like we’re getting higher. And we’ve bought to rush. We’re hurrying to get higher. We've got an opportunity to do it.”
Can the Cougars enhance sufficient to be an element of their ultimate WCC Match in March?
BYU will want no less than a number of extra victories earlier than the top of the common season to safe a top-4 seed and earn a bye into the quarterfinals. And that received’t be straightforward.
The Cougars have 5 video games remaining within the common season. As for this week, they're going again on the street with video games towards last-place Pepperdine on Thursday and perennial WCC champion Gonzaga on Saturday.
After that, BYU hosts Santa Clara (Feb. 16), visits Saint Mary’s (Feb. 18) and entertains San Francisco (Feb. 25). Of their 5 ultimate opponents, the Cougars have crushed just one this season — Pepperdine, a 91-81 determination in Provo on Jan. 14.
The final time BYU performed away from the Marriott Heart, it wasn’t fairly. The Cougars have been swept by Santa Clara and San Francisco on its Bay Space street swing.
The Waves ended their 11-game dropping streak, and earned their first WCC win of the season, Saturday towards Portland in a recreation that featured a loopy ending. Houston Mallette scored 25 factors for Pepperdine and Jevon Porter nailed the game-winning basket as time expired in double time beyond regulation. The Waves beat the Pilots 94-93.
In the meantime, the No. 12 Zags suffered their second WCC lack of the season Saturday with a 78-70 time beyond regulation loss at league-leader Saint Mary’s.
Gaels freshman guard Aidan Mahaney — who drilled a game-winner over BYU on Jan. 29 — poured in 18 factors towards Gonzaga.
No. 18 Saint Mary’s (21-4, 10-0) owns a two-game lead over the Zags (19-5, 8-2) within the WCC standings.
There have been a bunch of aggressive video games this season within the league, which may make issues fascinating in Las Vegas.
What does Rudi Williams wish to see from his group between now and the primary week of March on the event?
“I simply need us to continue to grow and maintain getting higher. Get some momentum heading into Vegas, ending these final convention video games,” he stated. “I really feel like after we get to Vegas, nobody goes to wish to play us in that first recreation as a result of groups understand that we’re a harmful group and we’ve positively gotten higher because the final time we noticed them.”
Within the two video games final week — a 28-point victory over LMU and a 15-point win over Pacific — Williams began carrying a headscarf, because of an help from freshman ahead Braeden Moore.
“I in all probability determined a few days in the past throughout apply,” Williams defined. “I noticed Braeden within the locker room earlier than apply. He had (the headscarf) on. I snatched it off his head, tried it on and I used to be like, ‘OK, I like this.’ I wore it in apply that day and I used to be like, ‘I’m simply going to put on it within the recreation.’”
In the meantime, ahead Gideon George, who recorded a double-double towards Pacific, was impressed by the presence within the Marriott Heart Saturday of the household that took him in when he performed at New Mexico Junior School earlier than arriving at BYU.
George had one in all his greatest video games of the season with 12 factors, 10 rebounds, two assists a steal and two blocks.
As a group, the Cougars had simply 9 turnovers towards Pacific and 7 turnovers towards LMU.
It’s an indication that BYU is bettering.
George needs to see extra of the identical throughout this ultimate stretch of the season.
“We’re hungry,” he stated, “to get higher daily.”
BYU (16-10, 6-5) at Pepperdine (8-17, 1-10)
Thursday, 8 p.m. MST
Firestone Fieldhouse
TV: CBS Sports activities Community
Radio: BYU Radio/1160 AM