OREM, Utah — A dominant performance by Yoeli Childs gave the BYU men’s basketball team an 85-58 victory over Utah Valley in the UCCU Crosstown Clash Wednesday night.
"We played much better defensively tonight," BYU head coach Dave Rose said. "We made some huge strides. Tonight was probably the first night we shot the ball from the perimeter like we are capable of and hopefully that continues."
Childs recorded his third-straight double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds. He also tallied three assists and three blocks. TJ Haws added 11 points and four assists. Four other Cougars scored eight points in the win.
Childs gave the Cougars the first basket of the night on their first possession after winning the tipoff. The two teams exchanged the lead four times before back-to-back 3-pointers by Childs and Elijah Bryant gave BYU a 12-10 advantage with 15:10 remaining in the first half.
After two scoreless minutes, the Cougars went on a 12-2 run, which included 3-pointers by Haws and Childs, giving BYU a 24-12 lead.
Five-straight turnovers by UVU helped extend the Cougar lead to 30-16 before the Wolverines went on a 4-0 run to cut the deficit back to 10 points with just under six minutes to play before halftime.
In his first game as a Cougar, McKay Cannon scored his first bucket, finishing from behind the arc as the shot clock expired with 1:25 remaining. In the final minute, Childs scored a dunk and Zach Nelson finished a layup for the Wolverines, leaving BYU with a comfortable 13-point lead with eight seconds left on the clock. As the time expired, Kajon Brown converted on a three-point play, extending the lead to 42-26 for the Cougars at halftime.
At the break, Childs recorded a first half career-high 18 points to lead BYU. The rest of the 24 points from the Cougar offense was shared between seven scorers. BYU shot 53.1 percent from the field compared to UVU’s 42.1 percent.
Neither team was able to put together any runs in the first eight minutes of the second half, keeping BYU’s lead consistently over 14 points.
Zac Seljaas scored five-consecutive points and Childs scored his second dunk of the night to give the Cougars a 63-42 advantage.
After a Wolverine layup, the Cougars held the UVU offense scoreless for just over two minutes, while Cannon and Haws scored consecutive 3-pointers, extending the lead to 23 points, 69-46, with 7:43 remaining in the game.
Treys by Seljaas and Hardnett were answered by a three-point play by Kenneth Ogbe for a 75-52 score.
BYU shot 53.6 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from beyond the arc, while tallying a season-high 25 assists.
The Cougars travel to Logan, Utah, on Saturday, Dec. 2 as they take on in-state foe Utah State. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. MST. The game will be televised live on AT&T SportsNet RM. Audio broadcasts can be heard on BYU Sports Network, BYU Radio (Sirius XM 143) and KSL 1160 AM/102.7 FM.
Player Notes
After going 38 career games without a 3-point field goal, Yoeli Childs has hit a 3 in two-straight games. He hit a 3-pointer in the first half against UMass and two tonight against Utah Valley.
Childs finished with a career-best 24 points and 11 rebounds for his third-straight double-double, fourth of the season and ninth of his career. He also added three blocks, his fourth game this season and 11th of his career with three-plus blocks.
Elijah Bryant hit two 3-point field goals tonight against Utah Valley. He has made at least one 3-pointer in all seven games this season.
McKay Cannon was made eligible by the NCAA earlier in the day. In his BYU debut, he totaled eight points, two rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal.
Team Notes
BYU finished the night with a season-best 25 assists. The previous high was 20 vs. Mississippi Valley State and last season’s high was also 24.
BYU hit 12 3-point field goals, tying the previous season high set vs. Mississippi Valley State. Six different players hit two 3-pointers, including Childs, Jahshire Hardnett, Bryant, TJ Haws, Zac Seljaas and Cannon.
Quotes
BYU head coach Dave Rose
On Childs
"The thing I liked most from Yoeli was his determination consistently throughout the games. I like him making enough three-pointers that whoever is guarding him has to come out and that will really help our team."
On McKay Cannon
"About two weeks ago he realized there was a chance and if it comes he would be ready. He will really help our team. He has a lot of experience."
BYU guard McKay Cannon
On being able to play
"I found out at 3:30 that I could play tonight. I just wanted to play hard and I think that is what I did. They never told me exactly if I would play or not but I had a feeling I was going to play. I was expecting to."
Thoughts on game
"We played together and our defense was phenomenal. We were rebounding and we played a great game."
BYU center Yoeli Childs
Thoughts on game
"We came out and played really hard. We have the talent that if we come out and work hard we can win any game. We are tough to beat when we are unselfish."
On in-state games
"It's going to be a lot of fun. It's a different vibe and it's kind of cool because everybody knows everybody and there is a rivalry in the stands. It's a great environment."