PROVO -- In a near repeat of last year, Jimmer Fredette provided late-game heroics and led the White Team to a 62-56 victory over the Blue Team as Cougar fans met the 2010-11 BYU men’s basketball team at the Papa John’s Cougar Tipoff in the Marriott Center.
Fredette, a senior, hit a fall-away three-pointer with three seconds left to tie the annual Blue and White scrimmage and force a 2-minute overtime period.
Sophomore center Brandon Davies scored five points with two rebounds in the overtime period to seal the victory for the White Team.
“I was very pleased with some of the individual performances tonight,” said BYU head coach Dave Rose. “We are excited to get started against Laval on Friday.”
Fredette led all scorers with 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc with three assists.
Junior forward Charles Abouo led the Blue Team with 19 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field, including two steals and a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.
Scoring started early for the white team as Fredette and fellow senior Logan Magnussen hit back-to-back three-pointers to jump out to a 6-0 lead.
“We just wanted to get a win and see what it was like to play with fans in the Marriott Center with more adrenaline,” Fredette said. “We’re excited to play against someone else on Friday.”
Fredette was 4-for-6 with 10 points and three assists in the first half.
Sophomore guard Nick Martineau scored eight points, including 2-of-3 from three-point range to pace the Blue squad. He led all Cougars with six assists in the game.
Abouo also added a spark for the Blue squad, stealing a pass on the wing and finishing with a reverse dunk at the twelve-minute mark of the first half. He finished the first half with 10 points on 2-of-4 shooting from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line with two steals.
Mesa Community College transfer Stephen Rogers made an immediate impact for the White Team upon entering the game, converting a four-point play after being fouled from beyond the arc.
Matineau beat the buzzer at the end of the first half with a runner in the lane, tying the score 28-28.
Senior Jackson Emery got things started for the Blue Team in a back-and-forth second half, knocking down two-straight threes to give establish a 36-32 lead before Fredette led the White comeback.
The Cougars’ exhibition season starts Friday as Laval visits the Marriott Center. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m. Fans can listen to live game acion on KSL's X-Stream.