BYU vs. Weber State Game Notes
BYU vs. Weber State Photo Gallery
BYU vs. Weber State Highlights
SALT LAKE CITY – Chase Fischer scored 21 points and Kyle Collinsworth posted his 25th career double-double to lead BYU basketball to a 73-68 win over Weber State Saturday afternoon at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
"To be able to come in here and win that game is really big," BYU head coach Dave Rose said. "Hopefully, we can springboard with this and get the team going.”
Two different halves was the story, with both teams shooting hot in the first half and only the Cougars (5-2, 0-0 WCC) staying consistent in the second half with 60.0 percent shooting in the first half and 54.5 in the second. Weber State (5-3, 0-0 Big Sky) saw its shooting percentage drop from 66.7 percent in the first half to just 37.9 in the second half.
Fischer led BYU with 21 points on 7 of 12 shooting, including 4 of 8 from the 3-point line. Fischer added a career-best four steals to go along with five rebounds and one assist. Collinsworth’s 25th career double-double and third of the season featured 15 points and 10 assists. The senior added four rebounds and one steal. Kyle Davis was BYU’s third player in double figures with 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
Both teams started out on a hot streak with Weber State hitting its first five shots and BYU hitting 4 of 5. The Wildcats led 12-9 in the opening four minutes behind the hot shooting.
Back-to-back dunks by Corbin Kaufusi and Collinsworth highlighted a 9-0 run for the Cougars and put them in control 18-9 with 13:21 to go in the first half.
Weber State hit its fourth triple of the game to tie the score and followed it up with another two on the next possession to take the lead 24-22 with 9:23 on the clock. The Wildcats pushed their lead to as much as seven before a Fischer trey cut it back to four at 35-31 with 4:31 until the break.
Davis tied the game at 35-35 with 2:10 left in the first half on a turn-around hook shot under the basket. Fischer got a steal on the next possession and finished at the rim to retake the lead. Davis managed another hook to cap an 11-0 run and BYU took a 39-37 lead into halftime.
Both teams shot at least 60 percent in an offense-filled first half. BYU made 18 of 30 shots, led by 10 points apiece from Fischer and Davis. Weber State shot a blistering 66.7 percent, making 16 of 24 buckets.
The Cougars opened up a 48-39 lead in the first three minutes of the second half, forcing the Wildcats into three turnovers out of the gate.
With a made jumper from Nate Austin, BYU connected for its first double-digit advantage of the game at 53-42 with 14:39 remaining.
The BYU lead stayed at 10 for most of the second half until inside the final five minutes when Weber State trimmed it down to six at 64-58.
The Wildcats made it 71-68 with a 3-pointer in the final 11 seconds, but Collinsworth made two free throws on the other end to ice the game and win it 73-68.
BYU hosts Utah State in another in-state tilt at the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast on BYUtv and on the Cougar IMG Sports Network, KSL 1160 AM/102.7 FM and BYU Radio – Sirus XM 143.