The following notes are from BYU's 73-59 loss to San Francisco on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2022, at the Marriott Center.
ALL-TIME SERIES RESULTS: BYU leads 23-10
TEAM NOTES
First Half
Alex Barcello started hot for the Cougars with two 3-pointers and a layup for a quick 8-4 lead over the Dons. After a 9-0 run over San Francisco, a block and drive by Atiki Ally Atiki put BYU up 12-4 in the first five minutes of play. After a three-minute scoring drought, the Cougars went down 19-26 to the Dons with six minutes left in the first half. San Francisco continued to pull ahead, taking the teams into the locker room up 40-25. BYU ended the first half shooting 36 percent from the field and 29 percent from the 3-point line. The Dons finished the half shooting 41 percent from the field and 38 percent from the 3-point line.
Second Half
The second half started slow for the Cougars with two quick baskets made by the Dons putting them up 46-25 in the first two minutes of play. Barcello hit a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to start the scoring for BYU. After a slow start for the Cougars, a 7-0 run over the Dons closed the gap to a 10-point game (55-45) with nine minutes of play left in the second half. Despite BYU’s best efforts, the Dons took home the win 73-59 over the Cougars. BYU ended the game shooting 40 percent from the field and 23 percent from the three-point line. San Francisco ended the game shooting 39 percent from the field and 27 percent from the three.
Free Throws
BYU struggled from the free-throw line, going 12-of-25 and shooting 48 percent. The Dons shot 71 percent from the line, going 15-of-21 helping them secure the win over the Cougars.
Points off the Bench
BYU’s bench accounted for 26 points compared to San Francisco’s four points off the bench. Two players scored in double-digits, Seneca Knight with 12 and Atiki Ally Atiki with 10.
PLAYER NOTES
Alex Barcello
- Eighth 20-point game of the season, 19th of his career
- Led the Cougars in scoring with 25 points
Atiki Ally Atiki
- Career-high four blocks
- Career-high 10 points
- Career-high 20 minutes played
Seneca Knight
- 12 points, one block and two rebounds
Notable career highs/career firsts
Career-high points: Atiki Ally Atiki (10)
Career-high blocks: Atiki Ally Atiki (4)
COACH QUOTES
Mark Pope
On the game
“This is a really good San Francisco team, they are skilled and veteran and big, and they executed very well. We’re clearly disappointed with the outcome and the game is testing us a little bit right now and we’ll find some answers.”
“The game is testing us, it challenges you in every way and the game is testing us, it’s testing our togetherness, it’s testing our confidence and the thing is there is going to be a ton of emotion and you can’t hide from it, you’ve got to embrace it and overcome it.”
On team morale
“The best locker room in America is something we really strive for and care about and losing is something that these guys experienced before and something we haven’t experienced as a coaching staff before. It’s a challenge that we’ve got to rise up from and find answers to, and it doesn’t get any easier.”
“We’ve got to find a way to get more together, when the game is trying to ask us to doubt ourselves and doubt each other, we’ve got to be committed and have more trust in ourselves and each other and that’s really hard.”
On team identity
“Right now, if you take the game we’re like 60 percent looking like us, and then we’re like 40 percent, ‘man we just don’t recognize ourselves,’ in terms of decision making and when we’re on the floor, we have to find a way to simplify.”
On this season’s future
“We’re getting a little beat up and we’re getting tested, and if I’m good at my job, which we’ll see if I am this year, then we’ll find the answers and we’re going to come out of this stronger.”