Player Notes
- Anson Winder got his first start since the Utah game on Dec. 10, 2011 (14 games) and turned in a first half of 7 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. He finished the game with 10 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. Winder has had at least 3 steals in 3-straight games.
- Noah Hartsock recorded his third double-double of the season and sixth of his career with 24 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Hartsock started the game 3 of 10 from the field in the first half and then went 7 of 9 in the second half. He also added 3 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals.
- Matt Carlino scored 18 points on 7 of 13 shooting. The freshman added 5 assists and 3 steals.
- Brandon Davies scored in double figures for the 13th-straight game and 20th of the season with 15 points. He added 5 boards, 1 assist, 1 block and 1 steal.
Team Notes
- Head coach Dave Rose went with the starting lineup of Matt Carlino, Anson Winder, Charles Abouo, Noah Hartsock and Brandon Davies. It is the first lineup change in 14 games and the first game Brock Zylstra didn’t start this season.
- BYU’s sticky fingers picked up 12 steals in the first half and 14 for the game for a new season high.
- After the 15:40 mark in the first half, the Cougar defense held Gonzaga to just 3 of 20 shooting until the break.
- BYU had four players in double figures. Hartsock led all scorers with 24 points and Carlino added 18 points, Davies had 15 and Winder chipped in 10 points.
- In the specialty stats the Cougars beat out the Bulldogs in points off turnovers (22-11), points in the paint (44-36) and fast-break points (10-4).
- With the victory, BYU has defeated a ranked team for the first time this year. It was the first victory over a ranked team since beating No.4/6 San Diego State on the road last year on Feb. 26, and first win over a ranked team at home since beating the No. 4/4 Aztecs at the Marriott Center a month earlier Jan. 26, 2011.
Game Trends
- After Gonzaga scored the first bucket, BYU got 3 steals in a row en route to some fast breaks and a 7-0 run to take the lead 7-2 with 17:30 left in the first half.
- Damarcus Harrison scored back-to-back buckets including a 3-pointer and Hartsock drained a long 2-pointer as part of a 7-0 run to stretch the Cougars’ lead to 36-22 with under two minutes left in the first half.
- BYU took a 55-36 lead with 13:28 remaining in the game on a Hartsock layup as part of an 11-2 Cougar run.
- The Bulldogs cut the lead back down to 10 with 3:33 remaining and BYU holding a 75-65 advantage. Gonzaga would cut it down to 8 points in the final minute but wouldn’t get any closer.
BYU head coach Dave Rose
“That’s a big win for our team and for our guys. Every player that went in the game tonight played with real urgency and a great effort. Our effort was extremely high the whole night and that was our focus going in.”
“Our hands were active and our feet were active, we were challenging for rebounds. That’s when we’re good. Our guys respond to that and built on it and it gives them confidence. We have been a team that has played really hard.”
Senior Noah Hartsock
“It started with the coaching staff. They got our minds ready for the game. In practice we focused on executing on the way we need to… pushing the ball up and down the court.”
“The bench stepped in and played really well for us. When the bench is playing really well, it’s a big win for us.”
Gonzaga head coach Mark Few
“We were rattled, frazzled, played with no poise and no composure. BYU did a good job of just coming out and playing, playing with great energy, great passion. There were times in the second half we played decent enough to get us back in the game but we just couldn’t quite do it.”
“We have two freshmen guards out there. But they were only part of the problem. It was everybody – seniors, juniors. BYU came out and played us physical and got after us. Their posts attacked us very well – [Noah] Hartsock and [Brandon] Davies. [Matt] Carlino was pushing the ball really well, which got us back on our heels. Dave mixed up the lineup a little bit and those guys responded. “
“[BYU] has a great home atmosphere. There is great support there. [The Marriott Center] is an impressive building. It’s a tough play to place. We’ve handled some pretty rough places but we didn’t handle this one tonight.”