POSTGAME NOTES
- BYU head coach Dave Rose used his third different starting lineup in four games as Austin Ainge, Jimmy Balderson, Lee Cummard, Keena Young and Trent Plaisted got the starting nod against Southern Utah. Cummard, Balderson and Young have started all four games this season while Ainge has now started the last two and Plaisted has started three, missing the start on Wednesday against Portland while nursing a sprained ankle.
- Individual Career Highs: Lee Cummard - 8 rebounds; Sam Burgess - 5 assists.
- Individual Season Highs: Austin Ainge - 11 points, 5 assists (tied); Lee Cummard -- 4 assists.
- BYU's victory over SUU increased the Cougars' home win streak to 17 games, currently the seventh-longest active streak in the nation.
- With a final score of 80-61, the Cougars are now 3-0 this season when scoring over 70 points in a game after going 17-4 last season when reaching the 70-point threshold.
- BYU has outscored its opponents from the bench in every game this year, including a 22-19 margin against the Thunderbirds.
- SUU's 23-point first half marked the fewest points in a half allowed by the Cougars this season.
- BYU's 19-point halftime lead (41-23) is its largest halftime margin of the season. The Cougars have led at the break in every game this year.
- Plaisted recorded his first double-double of the season and the seventh of his career with 19 points and 12 rebounds. He achieved the mark with an offensive rebound on the first BYU possession of the second half.
- Plaisted made the most of his starting opportunity as he scored 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting in the first four minutes of the game, marking the first time this season he has scored in double figures. The 2006 Freshman All-American also tied his season-high rebounding mark with five boards prior to the 16-minute mark.
- With 16 points against SUU, Young has now scored in double figures in every game this year, the only Cougar to do so.
- Young has also been perfect from the free-throw line in three of four games this season, going 2-for-2 against the Thunderbirds and improving his season mark to 13-for-14 (.929).
- True freshman Jonathan Tavernari made his Cougar debut with 4:12 left in the first half, making the first basket of his BYU career with a three-pointer with 2:43 left in the game and posting one rebound.
- With a 3-for-4 three-point shooting night against Southern Utah, Ainge improved his season three-point shooting percentage to .692 (9-of-13). Ainge leads the team in three-pointers made.
- The Cougars held the Thunderbirds scoreless for 4:21 early in the first half, going on a 10-0 run from the 17:25 mark to the 13:04 mark to build an 18-4 lead.
- BYU head coach Dave Rose received his first technical foul of the season and the second of his BYU head-coaching career with 5:43 left to play in the first half. Rose also received a technical foul last season at UNLV (Jan. 11).
- Leading 46-30 with 16:45 left in the game, BYU put together a 15-0 run over the next 6:25 thanks in part to eight points from Young.
- Fernando Malaman recorded his first dunk of the season and third of his career with 6:21 left in the game, giving the Cougars a 72-47 lead.
POSTGAME QUOTES
BYU Head Coach Dave Rose
"Our best sign tonight was Trent coming out of the blocks early. He feels good out there and is confident coming off of his ankle injury."
"During the first ten minutes we were on attack. Defensively we had a good mindset and contested many of their shots."
"Tonight we tried several combinations of teams. Hopefully by the time we return from our next road game, we will have the a pretty good idea of the roles on our team."
"We executed our game plan very well concerning the short turnaround. Portland competed differently that Southern Utah, and I thought we did very well."
"Austin (Ainge) is very relaxed. He's playing with confidence. Rashaun (Broadus) will be fine. He plays hard, and it will just take some time."
BYU's Trent Plaisted
"They were able to take me out of the game. It's very important for me to get involved really early, but at the same time, I just have to do what I have to do."
"We came out hard. Throughout the game I thought we played like we wanted to. Overall we were more aggressive than last week."
Southern Utah Head Coach Bill Evans
"We could not stop (Trent) Plaisted. He is big and strong. We had no answer for him."
"When we got down, we panicked and threw up some bad shots."
"We did not play like we are capable of playing. We got beat by a good team in their place. The season is still young. We will improve from here."
"Keena Young is a load. I think he is the most improved player on their team. He is a hard guard."
"BYU is a good defensive team. They are much better defensively than people give them credit for."