It’s no secret that BYU thrives on the three-point shot. They also die from the three and sometimes the Cougars are revived by the three. The long ball brought BYU back to life, defeating NC State 95-86 and winning Friday night’s Vegas showdown at Mandalay Bay.
After making just five of 17 three-point shots in the first half, BYU responded with nine in the second half. The Cougars shot 70% from the field and scored 57 points after halftime, overwhelming the Wolfpack and remaining undefeated at 6-0.
“I think we’re starting to see what we can be,” BYU head coach Mark Pope told BYUradio. “Our boys have now had a really positive experience where we have to be on our guard and not on our heels. I thought our guys responded epically tonight.”
Dallin Hall’s three-pointer tied the game at 69 with 7:04 to play and sparked an 11-nil run highlighted by five straight points from Jaxon Robinson. Trevin Knell capped the barrage with another three-pointer, giving the Cougars an 81-72 lead with 3:55 left.
Robinson finished his career with 23 points. Noah Waterman (tournament MVP) had 15, Dallin Hall and Trevin Knell each scored 13 and Spencer Johnson added 11.
NC State’s Casey Marsell scored a career-high 28 for the Wolfpack.
“This is really nothing new for us. We know what we’re capable of,” Robinson said on BYUradio. “It’s just about us showing the world what we have. That was a step in the right direction. It was a great experience for the entire team.”
The Cougars received a huge boost from Aly Khalifa, a 6-11 year old. The Charlotte native was sidelined for two weeks with a knee injury and didn’t even dress for Thursday’s game at Arizona State.
But when Fousseyni Traore left the game early in the first half due to injury and Atiki Ally Atiki was suspended for a hit in Thursday’s game against the Sun Devils, Pope turned to Khalifa and he raised his game.
Khalifa responded with five points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks in 29 minutes, battling with NC State’s 6-foot-1, 275-pound center DJ Burns. Khalifa and the Cougars outscored NC State 40-29.
“We are lucky that Aly was able to step in. That was a game-time decision. We let him shoot around. We were as patient as we could be,” Pope said. “He had a huge impact on the game.”
Pope continued: “Not having Atiki we knew our backs were against the wall and then we lost Fouss at the start of the half, for a smaller group of players, which might have made for a tough evening. “These people are believers.”
For the second time in a row, the tension increased in the second half. NC State lost three players and head coach Kevin Keatts to expulsions as BYU withdrew.
Slow start
Waterman opened the game with a three-point shot from the corner, but NC State countered with a 16-2 run to take the lead they would hold in the first half.
BYU lost Traore at 13:49 when he fell to the floor after a rushing tackle and grabbed his Achilles tendon. The 6-foot-2 junior, BYU’s leading rebounder, did not return, forcing Pope to reshape his front line on the fly.
Adding to the early difficulties was the fact that the cornerstones that had fueled BYU’s 5-0 record – three-point shots and free throws – were lost in action. Knell and Johnson went 0-for-6 from the three-point line in the first half. The Cougars had just a 5-17 record as a team, and even more disheartening, they missed seven free throws (7-14).
Pope’s backup players – Khalifa, Robinson, Richie Saunders and Trey Stewart – were down but not out, scoring 17 points to keep BYU close. Late in the half, Robinson blocked a shot, recovered the ball and ran down the court for a slam dunk that put the Cougars up 42-38.
NC State’s guard tandem of DJ Horne and Casey Morsell remained a constant thorn in BYU’s side. Together they scored 23 points, helping to extend the Wolf Pack’s lead to 43-38 at halftime.
Recovery time
The Cougars will get some rest after the holidays before taking on Fresno State (3-2) on Friday night, December 1st at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
“The number one thing I care about is our health,” Pope said. “As for Fouss, we will know more in the next few days. This is a huge problem for us. We will get Atiki back and continue to work with Aly (Khalifa).”
He added: “This break comes at the perfect time for us to get our bodies back in line. I know why I broke some guys because they go out and play so hard.”
Mark Pope, Mr. November
Reggie Jackson is baseball’s Mr. October. Cougar coach Mark Pope is making a strong case for being Utah State’s Mr. November.
With Friday night’s win, Pope is now 26-6 in games played in November, including eight straight wins.
Pope’s biggest victories include a 72-71 victory in Houston on November 15, 2019; a 78-73 win over UCLA at the Maui Invitational on November 25, 2019; an 81-49 win over No. 12 Oregon in Portland on Nov. 16, 2021; a 75-64 triumph at Utah on November 27, 2021 and most recently the Cougars’ 74-56 win over No. 17 San Diego State on November 10 and BYU’s 95-86 win on Friday night against NC State.
Watch poll
After hitting the holiday jackpot with two wins against Power Five programs in Las Vegas, BYU is expected to break into the AP Top 25 on Monday for the first time since Dec. 6, 2021.
The surprising Cougars, who finished fifth in the WCC last season with basically the same roster except for redshirt player Trevin Knell, received votes in last week’s poll that left them just outside the top 25. Impressive wins in Las Vegas should be enough. Let’s classify them.
Flashback: Jimmer
Friday night’s win was BYU’s first multi-team event (MTE) championship since November 27, 2010, when Jimmer Fredette was the headliner. Fredette scored 57 points over two games at the South Padre Island Invitational, including the game-winning 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to beat Saint Mary’s 74-73 in the championship game.
After the win, BYU entered the AP Top 25 at No. 21. Behind Fredette, the Cougars climbed to a No. 3 seed during their 34-5 season, which ended with an overtime loss to Florida in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
Dave McCann is a contributor to the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He is the co-host of “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.