TRIESTE, Italy – BYU men’s basketball got in one last workout in the plaza of the Duomo de Milano early Monday morning before jumping on a bus for the four-hour drive to Venice, where they spent the day exploring The Floating City.
BYU men’s basketball international trip: Venice/Trieste recap
BYU men's basketball continued its international trip this week with stops in Venice and Trieste.
Upon arriving on the outskirts of Venice, the group was met by a fleet of water taxis that transported them to St. Mark’s Square through Canal Grande. While traveling through the canal, they were able to take in the more than 170 buildings that line the water, most of which were built from the 13th to 18th century.
Once in Venice, they took in a glassblowing demonstration where the artist created a glass horse in a matter of minutes. A city tour followed where the local guide expounded on the history of Venice as they took in all the sights.
Following the tour, the group was given the next few hours to explore the city on their own before heading to Trieste. Members of the travel party chose to go on the world-famous gondola rides, eat at local restaurants and purchase souvenirs.
The group arrived in Trieste, a deep-water port in Northeastern Italy just miles away from the border of Slovenia, late on Monday evening. A late wake-up call was followed by a tour of the Grotta Gignante. The group took on the 500-step descent and ascent adventure to explore the world’s largest show cave.
The Cougars improved to 2-0 on the trip later in the evening with an 84-73 victory over Pallacanestro Trieste inside Allianz Dome. BYU knocked down 19 3-pointers as they shot 44.3 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from behind the arc.
Jaxson Robinson led the way for the Cougars as the junior scored 26 points, going 10-of-17 from the field including 6-of-13 from 3-point range. Trevin Knell finished with 15 points knocking down five 3-pointers with Trey Stewart and Spencer Johnson also reaching double figures with 10 a piece.
The group next travels to the hometown of Cougar legend Krešimir Ćosić, Zadar, Croatia, on Wednesday to take part in a basketball clinic and face KK Zadar.