Provo, Utah – Despite trailing by one point at halftime, 47-46, Santa Clara allowed BYU to go on a 14-1 run mid-way through the second half and the Cougars came away with a 96-79 win. Santa Clara returns home to the Leavey Center on Thurs., Feb. 7 to play Bay Area rival Saint Mary's for the first time this year. The 8 pm game will be shown on ESPN2 with Dave Flemming and Corey Williams making the call.
Santa Clara is 17-7 and 5-4 in the WCC. BYU is 18-6 and 8-2 in the WCC.
Santa Clara had five players in double figures. Santa Clara was led by Kevin Foster's 18 points, including three threes to tie Steve Nash at No. 4 all-time with 132 career West Coast Conference threes. Evan Roquemore added 14 with two assists and three steals. Marc Trasolini scored 15 with eight boards. Raymond Cowels III had 13 points with two steals, but was held scoreless in the second half. Cowels III needs 29 points to hit 1,000 career points scored.
Yannick Atanga started his second straight game and collected a team-high nine boards. Brandon Clark scored 11 points and two assists off the bench.
BYU was led by Matt Carlino's 28 points on 10 of 17 shooting and 5-5 from the free throw line. Tyler Haws added 24 (11 of 17) with five boards, Brandon Davies had 16 and Josh Sharp 14. Davies collected a game-high 11 rebounds and Josh Sharp scored 14 with six boards. Brock Zylstra added eight boards and eight points.
Santa Clara shot 38.1 percent from the field (24 of 63), including 37.5 from beyond the arc (9 of 24). The Broncos shot 75.9 percent from the free throw line (22 of 29). They collected 33 rebounds, six steals, 14 assists, one block and had 11 turnovers.
BYU shot 58.3 percent from the field (35 of 60), including 45.5 from beyond the arc (5 of 11). The Cougars shot 65.6 percent from the free throw line (21 of 32). They collected 41 rebounds, eight steals, 19 assists, three blocks and had 10 turnovers.
The teams traded baskets to start the game with Foster's steal resulting in a Roquemore basket at 18:41. After another Haws bucket inside, Cowels III hit his first three of the day at 17:57 to make it 5-4 Broncos.
Trasolini and Haws traded baskets. After Atanga's attempted dunk clanged of the rim sky-high, Carlino dumped it in for an 8-7 BYU lead at 16:33. Haws, who shoots 88 percent from the free throw line, make the second one to make it 9-7 BYU at 15:39.
Roquemore's six-foot jumper tied it up before Davies two free throws put BYU up 11-9. Foster scored at 14:39, but was called for the foul. Roquemore was whistled for his second foul at 14:27 and Haws missed the first and made the second.
Garrett picked up his second foul at 13:43 and in checked in Niyi Harrison for him after Austin made one of two from the charity stripe.
Cowels III hit his second triple at 13:24. Cowels III scored a pair of free throws at 13:06, 16-13 SCU.
BYU then started a 9-0 run. Haws scored inside for his 10th point of the game at 13:52. J. Clarke was whistled for the team's ninth team foul at 11:40 and Austin sank the and one, 18-16 BYU. Back-to-back BYU baskets at 9:30 and 9:16 caused Keating to whistle for time with BYU leading 22-16.
Trasolini stopped the run at 9:01. The teams traded baskets again with Roquemore hitting a three at 8:27 and Roquemore scoring again at 7:52, 26-23 BYU.
Roquemore was fouled shooting a three by Cory Calvert at 7:24 and he sank all three to tie it up 26-26 before Carlino hit a three. B. Clark answered with his own at 7:08 to tie up 29-29. Carlino scored another three at 6:22, 32-29 BYU.
Cowels III sanked two free throw at 5:58 and Carlino answered with two his own at 5:42, 34-31 BYU. Cowels III scored a three ball at 5:26 to tie it up 34-34. Sharp scored two free throws when Roquemore picked up his third foul in the first half at 5:19.
Foster shook off his defender to make a three at 4:38 to give the Broncos a 37-36 lead. Foster missed a 10-footer but Trasolini grabbed the offensive board and dumped it in for a bucket at 3:40.
Sharp, playing for Austin who picked up his second foul at 12:38, scored an and one at 3:22. After B. Clark sunk in to dump it in for a basket, Davies, wide-open under the basket, scored two on a dunk. Foster answered with a three at 1:45, 44-41 Broncos. Davies hit two free throws at 1:35 to pull BYU within one. Davies both free throws but the ball bounced off a Bronco player and fell out to give it back to BYU at 1:14. Haws scored a basket at 1:01, 45-44 BYU.
Agustin Ambrosino fouled Foster at 49.2 and he scored both to give SCU a 46-45 lead. Davies hit the line again after Foster was called for his second with 37 seconds left, the Broncos 15th foul of the game to put BYU up 47-46.
In the first half, Santa Clara shot 44.1 percent from the field (15 of 34), including 58.3 percent from beyond the arc (7 of 12). The Broncos shot 100.0 percent from the free throw line (9 of 9). They collected 16 rebounds, four steals, eight assists, zero blocks and had six turnovers. They were led by Cowels III's 13 points, including 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. Roquemore added 12 and Foster had 10.
BYU shot 55.6 percent from the field (15 of 27), including 40 percent from beyond the arc (2 of 5). The Cougars shot 71.4 percent from the free throw line (15 of 21). They collected 18 rebounds, three steals, nine assists, one block and had six turnovers. Three Cougars scored 12 each – Carlino, Davies and Calvert.
BYU started the second half on a 4-0 run to take a 51-46 lead. Foster hit a free throw to stop the run at 18:40. Roquemore sank two at 18:10 to make it 51-49 BYU. Carlino scored an and one at 17:34 when Atanga picked up his third foul of the game.
Trasolini scored at 17:09 and Davies missed two free throws at 16:56.
Foster scored a reverse lay-up before BYU started a 14-1 run. Davies scored jump hook to make it 56-53 at 16:24. Carlino dumped it in at 15:52 to push BYU ahead 58-53. Haws scored his 14th point of the game at 14:49. Harrison's free throw at 13:30 stopped the run but a basket by Carlino at 12:57and an NBA-range three by Zylstra made it 68-54 BYU. Timeout Broncos.
B. Clark stopped the run with a bucket underneath at 11:34 and Foster added his third three at 11:00. The three tied him for the school record with former Bronco and two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash, who hit 132 career threes in his WCC career. The mark is good for No. 4 all-time in WCC history (WCC games only).
BYU went on a 13-2 run to go up 81-61 at 6:30. Atanga scored at 5:54 to slow down the Cougar run. BYU added five straight and Carlino scored it inside to make it 86-63. Trasolini stopped the 5-0 run with a bucket at 4:450.
Haws scored his 20th point of the day at 4:20, 88-65 BYU. Trasolini scored a pair of free throws to give him 12 at 4:15.
Four-year walk-on Kyle Perricone played the final 1:16 of the game. The Cougars won the game 96-79.
Kevin Foster has started 111 career games and is tied with Brody Angley at No. 2 (111, 2004-08). With six more starts, he will pass school record holder Brian Jones (116, 1996-01).
Playing in their 123rd career game, Raymond Cowels III and Marc Trasolini have moved to No. 4, passing Brody Angley (2004-08) and Mitch Bailey (1985-89), who played in 123 career games. No. 3 is John Bryant with 124 career games played (2005-09). The school record holder is Ben Dowdell, with 127 career games played from 2007-11.
The Marriott Center attendance was announced at 17,228. It is by far the largest venue in the WCC.
Raymond Cowels III ended the game with 13 points and now needs 29 points to hit the 1,000 career points scored mark. He has 971 career points scored. The Broncos will be the first team this year in Division I with four 1,000 point scorers if he accomplishes the task.
Kevin Foster added his third three at 11:00 in the second half. The three tied him for the school record with former Bronco Steve Nash, who hit 132 career threes in his WCC career. The mark is good for No. 4 all-time in WCC history.