Player Notes
Jake Toolson hit five 3-pointers in the game, tying his career high at BYU which he previously set as a freshman in 2014 against Southern Virginia. He finished the game while leading all scorers with 15 points and added seven rebounds and six assists
Yoeli Childs recorded his second double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds. It was his 39th career double-double and tied him with John Fairchild for second all-time in BYU history.
TJ Haws tallied 11 points before halftime, a first half season-high for the senior guard. He also finished the night with four rebounds and five assists.
Dalton Nixon finished the game with a career-best 10 rebounds while Kolby Lee also had a career high in rebounds with eight.
Team Notes
In the first half, BYU held Nevada to only 22 points – the fewest points allowed by the Cougars in a half – first or second – this season.
The Cougars finished the game with 12 3-pointers. BYU has made 10 or more 3-pointers in the last five-straight games, a program record for consecutive games with 10-plus 3s. The previous record was three.
On the game, the Cougars shot 41.2 percent from the field, 32.4 percent from behind the arc and 53.8 percent from the free-throw line. Defensively, BYU held the Wolfpack to 24.6 percent from the field, 13.0 percent from 3 and 58.3 percent from the charity stripe.
Postgame Quotes
BYU head coach Mark Pope
On tonight’s win
"I am really proud of our guys tonight. The guys really locked in and took on a team that has been on fire. This Nevada team has been one of the scariest offensive teams that we have prepared for. Their backcourt is so skilled and so effective in making shots and shots that are hard to take away. Our guys were really locked in and they managed the defensive end really well and we managed some frustration on the offensive end really well and that’s a huge skill. Huge win for us and it is really important. I am really proud of our guys and ready for the next one.”
On locking down the 3-point line
"It was effort and focus but also some game planning. You can credit Coach (Nick) Robison. The first two possessions of the game the ball ended up in the player’s hands that we wanted it to and they had to make plays from 12 feet, which isn’t their comfort zone. The guys executed that really well.”
On the offense
"A mature offense is an offense that is really aggressive and is willing to take what the defense gives us. Defensively, you always have to take away something. Team’s this year are going to overcommit to take away Yoeli Childs and Jake Toolson. Everybody we face is going to overcommit to take away something and if you are a mature team that understands the game and comes into the game agenda free, which is the biggest challenge, then what you do is what the defense does not take away and that’s when you have the best chance to win.”
Jake Toolson, Senior Guard
"Our defense should take the credit. We had a great game plan. We were locked in wanting to get stops. That’s how we found rhythm on the offensive end. We know we’re going to make shots but if we can lock in defensively, we’re going to be tough to beat."
"This proves to us that we can win games different ways. We don’t have to take shots every night. We can win games on the defensive side of the ball. That’s going to be huge for us going forward. You can’t always control all the shots you’re going to make but you can always control your efforts defensively. This game proves to us that if we’re locked in defensively, we have a chance to win every game."
"It’s another good win where we can keep building habits and getting stops defensively. I wasn’t here last year but I know that they played a good game last year against Nevada, so we felt like we owed it to them. That same mindset is going to carry over so that we can keep getting better. We want more."
On Yoeli Childs
"I saw greatness. That’s the sign of a great player – being able to respond. He fought through the frustration. In the first half he had zero points but everything he was doing out there was helping us get great looks. In the second half it was only a matter of time before he made plays. The way he responded to that first half is a sign of a really great player. He’s such a great scorer that people overlook his passing. He’s always been a great passer. With that skillset and willingness to make plays for his teammates makes him a dangerous player."
Alex Barcello, Junior Guard
Did it feel like déjà vu as you started the scoring again?
"A little bit. Like I said, I like to bring energy to the table. Luckily my teammate found me for a wide-open shot and I was able to knock it down to get the momentum going."
On importance of making 3-point shots for the offense
"It’s extremely important. Obviously, we don’t want to rely on it, but we know we’re a team full of great shooters, so we want to keep shooting at a high clip."
On the defensive intensity
"I credit it to Coach Robinson. He had a great scout on them. We were working hard every day leading up to the game. We were really locked in on our men and what their tendencies were. We came out and executed."
Nevada head coach Steve Alford
On tonight's game
“When you’re working with an inexperienced group, it’s not something that just comes and goes. Two months from now we’re probably going to be working on a lot of the same things. We’re going through it for the first time, first road game on national TV, most of these guys haven’t been through it before. It’s about getting ready and preparing and understanding what we have to do better on both sides of the ball. It’s about getting better. It’s not one thing, not two things, both offensively and defensively. It’s how you prepare. We won five in a row, we played well, but tonight we kind of got smacked in the face.”