FORT WORTH -- The Cougars completed the season series sweep of TCU Saturday night and doubled their win total from last year with an 81-72 win over the Horned Frogs in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
BYU has now won eight of its last nine games beginning with an 89-80 overtime win against TCU in Provo, a game some have dubbed the "Marriott Center Miracle." The Horned Frogs have lost nine straight beginning with that game. The Cougars' current four-game winning streak has improved their record to 18-7 overall and 10-4 in the Mountain West Conference.
"This game was really important for us," said BYU coach Dave Rose. "We wanted to go into the final week of the season in a position to get a piece of the Mountain West Conference Championship. We had to win tonight to do that. This win was big for our players and for our program at this point."
In a first half reminiscent of the first matchup of the season between the two teams, the Cougars started out slow, missing their first five shots before Rashaun Broadus drained a three-pointer 2:35 into the game. TCU, meanwhile, who entered the game as the league's worst shooting team, made 4-of-5 to start. The BYU shooting drought did not last long, however, as the Cougars made five of their next six baskets to take an early 14-10 lead.
Down 20-16, TCU put together a 10-0 run as BYU did not score from the field for 3:29. A technical foul called on Jimmy Balderson helped spark the Horned Frogs, who also recorded two emphatic dunks during the Cougars' scoreless stretch. From there, BYU put together a 12-2 spurt of its own to end the half and retake the lead at 32-28. The Horned Frogs overcame 14 first-half turnovers and a 7:01 scoring drought from the field to end the half by holding BYU to just 36.7 percent shooting in the first period of play.
BYU opened up its largest lead of the game to that point at 39-32 just two minutes into the second half thanks to four points from Broadus and a three-pointer from Brock Reichner. The Horned Frogs fought back with a 13-5 run to wrestle the lead away from the Cougars at 45-44. However, Balderson, making his first appearance of the second half, drained a three-pointer to spark a 7-0 BYU run that gave the Cougars a 51-45 advantage.
Keena Young, who had a quiet first half after posting a career-high 20 points against SDSU, took over the game from there, recording seven straight points for BYU to help the Cougars maintain a six-point cushion.
"When he plays at the right pace, Keena Young has got himself a real pace that he can get into and get the shots that he needs," said Rose. "He was great for us tonight once he got himself going."
The two teams went back and forth over the next four minutes until four straight free throws gave the Cougars a 10-point lead at 68-58. TCU refused to go down without a fight, however, preventing BYU from pulling away by making shots down the stretch to keep the Cougars on their toes.
A three-pointer with a minute to play brought the Horned Frogs to within six at 76-70 and brought back memories of BYU's 11-3 run in the last minute of play to erase an eight-point deficit and force overtime in the first game between the two teams this season. But it was not to be for TCU as the Cougars showed why they are the league's hottest team in notching the 81-72 win.
"We weren't able to guard without fouling," said TCU coach Neil Dougherty. "You've got to give them credit, they got us out of position. Forty free throw attempts is a lot. Trent Plaisted is the best freshman in the conference."
Plaisted put on a show against the Horned Frogs, leading BYU with 17 points and 18 rebounds, the most by a Cougar since Gary Trost pulled down 18 on Dec. 19, 1991. He was joined in double figures by Broadus with 16 points, Young with 15, Balderson with 11 and Lee Cummard with 10 points. Fourteen of Young's 15 points came in the second half. Austin Ainge came off the bench to lead BYU with six assists.
"I've got Texas in my blood," said Plaisted, a San Antonio native. "I guess the ball just bounces my way a little bit against TCU."
Nile Murry led a group of six players who scored in double figures for TCU with 25 points while Judson Stubbs added 13 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. Chudi Chinweze, who had not played the last two games due to injury, recorded 15 points.
BYU will end the regular season with two home games next week beginning with a nontelevised Wednesday night matchup against Colorado State at 7 p.m. BYU has won its last 12 games in the Marriott Center.
"This coming week is a big week for us," said Rose. "We're excited for our players to be where they're at. These games are very important. We had a terrific crowd against San Diego State so hopefully our fans will come out this week and help us win these games."
Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS
BYU vs TCU
2/25/06 7:00 p.m. at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum (Fort Worth, TX)
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VISITORS: BYU 18-7, 10-4 MWC
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
03 YOUNG, Keena........ f 4-11 0-0 7-10 3 1 4 3 15 1 1 1 1 27
44 PLAISTED, Trent..... c 6-12 0-0 5-10 6 12 18 3 17 0 5 2 0 36
01 BROADUS, Rashaun.... g 5-8 1-2 5-8 1 4 5 3 16 4 4 0 0 24
04 EMERY, Jackson...... g 0-2 0-1 1-2 1 2 3 3 1 0 1 0 2 21
11 REICHNER, Brock..... g 2-7 2-5 1-2 0 0 0 0 7 3 2 0 2 21
02 ROSE, Mike.......... 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
13 AINGE, Austin....... 0-1 0-1 2-2 0 2 2 0 2 6 2 0 2 17
15 MALAMAN, Fernando... 1-3 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 14
23 BALDERSON, Jimmy.... 4-4 2-2 1-2 0 0 0 3 11 0 0 0 2 19
30 CUMMARD, Lee........ 3-5 1-3 3-4 0 3 3 4 10 1 0 0 0 18
TEAM................ 1 1 1
Totals.............. 25-54 6-15 25-40 12 26 38 21 81 15 16 4 10 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-30 36.7% 2nd Half: 14-24 58.3% Game: 46.3% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-8 25.0% 2nd Half: 4-7 57.1% Game: 40.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 8-15 53.3% 2nd Half: 17-25 68.0% Game: 62.5% 8
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HOME TEAM: TCU 5-23, 1-13 MWC
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
15 STUBBS, Judson...... f 5-9 1-2 2-3 5 7 12 5 13 2 5 1 0 28
45 PIERCE, Art......... f 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 4 0 0 3 0 0 10
04 MURRY, Nile......... g 10-19 3-8 2-2 0 1 1 4 25 5 2 0 2 33
05 OWENS, Neiman....... g 5-7 3-3 0-2 0 4 4 4 13 3 2 0 2 37
13 DOUGHERTY, Neil P... g 1-1 1-1 2-3 0 0 0 3 5 6 3 0 0 30
02 HACKETT, Brent...... 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 10
12 IBIKUNLE, Femi...... 0-2 0-0 1-4 1 3 4 1 1 0 2 0 0 8
20 MARKLEY, David...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
22 CHINWEZE, Chudi..... 6-10 0-0 3-7 1 4 5 3 15 1 2 1 0 25
23 ADAMS, Blake........ 0-5 0-1 0-0 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 14
50 TAYLOR, Allen....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 4
TEAM................ 2 2
Totals.............. 27-55 8-16 10-21 9 24 33 30 72 18 20 2 5 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-27 37.0% 2nd Half: 17-28 60.7% Game: 49.1% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-7 28.6% 2nd Half: 6-9 66.7% Game: 50.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 6-12 50.0% 2nd Half: 4-9 44.4% Game: 47.6% 4
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Officials: Scott Thornley, Larry Spaulding, Michael Irving
Technical fouls: BYU-BALDERSON, Jimmy. TCU-None.
Attendance: 5646
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
BYU........................... 32 49 - 81
TCU........................... 28 44 - 72
ID-365760
Points in the paint-BY 30,TC 28. Points off turnovers-BY 17,TC 11.
2nd chance points-BY 10,TC 5. Fast break points-BY 9,TC 12.
Bench points-BY 25,TC 16. Score tied-2 times. Lead changes-7 times.