BYU

BYU’s Offensive Firepower Tests Houston’s Nation-Leading Defense

No. 17 BYU Takes on No. 2 Houston’s Top Defense

BYU showcased its offensive prowess in a 96-92 victory over Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals on Thursday.

However, No. 17-ranked BYU (24-8), the fourth seed in the tournament, could face more challenges putting up points on Friday night against top-seeded Houston (28-4) in the first of two semifinal matchups.

Houston ranks No. 2 in the country largely due to its defense, which is the best in the nation, allowing just 58.1 points per game. The Iowa State defense that BYU overcame ranks No. 49.

The teams’ only previous conference meeting this season saw Houston defeat BYU 86-55 on January 4.

Houston has won 11 consecutive games, while BYU has won nine.

On Thursday, BYU shot 51.7 percent from the field against the No. 12-ranked Cyclones. Even more impressive, the Cougars hit 50 percent of their 3-point attempts.

They didn’t just make a couple of threes here and there. The Cougars shot 36 times from beyond the arc, making 18 of them — setting a tournament record.

“That’s a season high for us, 18 makes,” coach Kevin Young said after the game. “I just told the guys in the locker room you don’t just show up to the gym and go 18-of-36 from 3. It’s not just the shot-making. It’s how those 3s are generated.

“It’s something we pride ourselves on — spacing the floor, turning a good shot into a great shot. Our guys have been that way all season. For them to do it under the lights against a team whose defense is their hallmark, that was a big moment for us.”

The challenge for BYU is replicating this performance against a team that leads the nation in scoring defense.

Young believes his team is not the same one that lost to Houston over two months ago.

“We played them super early in our first Big 12 road game,” Young said, reflecting on that game. “They smacked us. We’ve grown a lot since then. We’ve found more of our identity. We just have to go out there and be the best version of ourselves.”

Richie Saunders led BYU in scoring against Iowa State with 23 points, and Trevin Knell was perfect from beyond the arc, going 4-for-4.

Houston won its quarterfinal game against 16th-seeded Colorado 77-68 on Thursday, but it wasn’t easy. The Cougars’ largest lead was 14 points, and each time they tried to pull away, the Buffaloes kept answering back.

“When we get to this time of year, I think it’s really important not to over-analyze anything,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “We can certainly play better, and I’m sure we will.

“It’s called a win. I like that. We won. It’s really important to win the game. That’s what I liked. The way we played doesn’t matter. We’ve got a game tomorrow, 6 o’clock (Central Time), and that’s really all I care about.”

BYU averages 81.8 points per game and is hitting 37.6 percent of its 3-pointers this season. Houston guard Milos Uzan said his team will be ready for the challenge.

“You want to take away the three,” Uzan said. “That’s what they’re really good at. Coach Sampson is going to have a good game plan for us. We just have to execute it.”

The winner of the Houston-BYU game will face the victor of the other semifinal between No. 2 seed Texas Tech and No. 3 seed Arizona in the Big 12 tournament final on Saturday.

 

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