BYU took advantage of a cold-blooded Saint Mary team during a crucial second half, while the Cougars beat the Gaels 62-52 Thursday at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, California.
Here are three take-aways from the game:
- BYU (10-3, 1-1 West Coast Conference) won for the first time since 2014 in Moraga, despite trailing by eight points with just under 11 minutes of playing time. The Gaels led nearly 27 minutes of play. However, the cougars turned the game around with a 16-0 run over an almost ten-minute team to take a 59-50 lead in the last minute. Saint Mary’s missed ten straight field goals during that stretch and shot 7 of 23 in the second half.
- Alex Barcello, as usual, led the Cougars offensively, shooting 6 of 10 from the field and scoring a game-high 14 points while adding two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Brandon Averette added nine points, three assists and three poles, while Caleb Lohner had four points and nine rebounds at stake.
- The Cougars have a 44-24 lead in points in the paint and scored 11 second chances to five for Saint Mary’s (9-4, 0-2 WCC).