BYU ahead Fousseyni Traore (45) and guard Spencer Johnson (20) defend Saint Mary’s guard Aidan Mahaney (20) on the Marriott Heart in Provo on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. The 2 squads will meet once more Monday night time within the WCC match semifinals in Las Vegas. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
Saint Mary’s guard Logan Johnson, left, shoots over BYU guard Trey Stewart (1) and ahead Atiki Ally Atiki throughout recreation in Moraga, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. BYU and Saint Mary’s will sq. off Monday night time in Las Vegas within the WCC match semifinals. Godofredo A. Vásquez, Related Press
LAS VEGAS — In late February, BYU was within the throes of a four-game dropping streak, and going nowhere quick.
However after capping the common season with a dominating dwelling victory on Senior Evening in opposition to San Francisco, adopted by West Coast Convention match wins over Portland and Loyola Marymount, don’t look now, however the Cougars are making a late-season run.
“You’ve gotta be good on the proper time,” stated guard Rudi Williams, who sported a white headband and scored a team-high 23 factors in BYU’s 73-63 win over LMU Saturday night time. “The staff needs to be its greatest in March, clearly. I really feel like we’re trending in the best course.”
Identical to that, the mercurial Cougars (19-14) have superior to the WCC match semifinals.
Standing of their method now, of their remaining WCC match, is longtime nemesis Saint Mary’s (25-6), which is ranked No. 17 within the nation and boasts the No. 1 seed within the match.
No. 5 seed BYU, using a three-game profitable streak, faces the Gaels Monday (7 p.m., MST, ESPN) at Orleans Area. The Cougars are hoping to exit of the WCC with a bang. In 12 years within the league, BYU has by no means gained a WCC match title.
The winner of Monday’s BYU-Saint Mary’s semifinal recreation will play for a WCC match championship Tuesday, seemingly in opposition to No. 2 seed Gonzaga, which is ranked No. 10 nationally.
The Zags tackle No. 6 seed San Francisco later Monday night time. USF upset No. 3 Santa Clara Saturday and superior to the WCC semifinals.
Over time, BYU has staged some memorable battles in opposition to Saint Mary’s. Monday marks the final WCC matchup between the 2 packages.
This season, BYU suffered a gut-wrenching 57-56 loss to the Gaels in Provo on Jan. 28, when freshman Aidan Mahaney hit a troublesome, turnaround jumper with 0.3 seconds left on the clock.
On Feb. 18 in Moraga, Mahaney struck once more, burying a 3-pointer with 46 seconds remaining. Saint Mary’s gained 71-65.
The Cougars are wanting to get yet one more crack on the Gaels.
“We’re actually trying ahead to it. Folks all the time say it’s laborious to beat a staff thrice,” stated guard Spencer Johnson, who completed with 14 factors in opposition to LMU. “So undoubtedly we’re going to take Sunday to prep and we’re going to return out and battle. We’re going to offer them a recreation.”
Curiously, all of BYU’s WCC wins this season have been by double-figures. All of its WCC losses however one (to last-place Pepperdine) have been by single digits, together with two one-point setbacks in opposition to
Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s at dwelling, and a seven-point loss at Gonzaga and the six-point loss at Saint Mary’s.
Towards the league’s prime two groups, BYU has been in all 4 video games down the stretch. Can the Cougars defy the chances and determine a strategy to beat the Gaels?
As standard, BYU will attempt to velocity up the deliberate tempo Saint Mary’s likes to play.
“You sort of shrink the ground with them after which make them make selections they don’t wish to make,” Williams stated. “Protecting the ball out of fellows’ palms, like Aidan Mahaney and Logan Johnson. I do keep in mind once they got here to Provo, we pressed them slightly bit in that recreation. We had been shorthanded however that gave them slightly little bit of bother like that. I’m not the coach, however these are some issues we’ve had success with.”
LMU coach Stan Johnson, whose staff upset Saint Mary’s at dwelling in additional time on Feb. 9, is aware of each groups effectively.
“I feel will probably be an amazing recreation. Each of these groups match up rather well in opposition to one another. BYU’s performed them extraordinarily shut in each video games. Saint Mary’s gained on the buzzer in Provo,” he stated after his staff misplaced to BYU Saturday night time. “The sport at Saint Mary’s was actually shut. I feel will probably be one other actually shut recreation. Groups that may win the rebounding struggle, and get to the free throw line, goes to be the staff that wins. I feel whoever can management these elements of the sport, might be the staff that’s going to win the sport.”
BYU’s three-game profitable streak coincides with Williams being reinserted within the beginning lineup.
Williams started the yr as a starter till early December, when freshman level guard Dallin Corridor grew to become a starter.
However coach Mark Pope determined to make Williams a starter once more on Senior Evening in opposition to San Francisco. He scored 21 in opposition to the the Dons.
Up to now three video games, Williams has averaged 17 factors, dished out 11 assists and has had only one turnover. He’s additionally knocked down 27 of 30 on the free throw line.
“He grew to become not only a nice participant off the bench — a official argument for Sixth Man of the 12 months in our convention — but in addition an unbelievably gracious and beneficiant mentor to Dallin Corridor, a freshman, who took on a beginning function,” Pope stated.
The Cougars are relying closely on Williams, and he’s responding in an enormous method.
“I've this deep, deep perception that seniors are magic. We speak about that the entire time,” Pope stated. “They do issues which are particular, like Rudi has achieved the final couple of video games and so many instances this season.”
In Las Vegas, the Leisure Capital of the World, BYU is hoping to conjure up some extra late-season magic — and possibly some late-game magic — Monday within the WCC match semifinals in opposition to Saint Mary’s.
Saint Mary’s guard Logan Johnson, left, shoots over BYU guard Trey Stewart (1) and ahead Atiki Ally Atiki throughout recreation in Moraga, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. BYU and Saint Mary’s will sq. off Monday night time in Las Vegas within the WCC match semifinals.
Godofredo A. Vásquez, Related Press