Cougs use 3-pointers in victory
SALT LAKE CITY – Thomas Kelati scored 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds and Washington State rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat Brigham Young 49-46 in non-conference men’s basketball play Saturday.
Washington State (4-3) won the battle of the Cougars with a barrage of 3-pointers in the second half. Seven of Washington State’s nine field goals in the second half were 3-pointers, taking the team into the lead late in the second half and holding off BYU (2-6) at the end.
BYU was playing a home game at the Delta Center, about 45 miles from the Cougars campus in Provo. The game drew an announced crowd of 10,283 and the BYU fans were loud throughout a sloppy game that got exciting at the end.
Austin Ainge, who had 16 points and four assists for BYU, missed a tying attempt just before the buzzer after giving BYU hope with a 3-pointer and a layup in the final 18 seconds.
Woeful shooting for BYU got worse in the second half, going from 38.5 percent to 31.8 and finishing 17 for 48 from the field. Garner Meads had 10 rebounds and Mike Rose added 15 points, but he and Ainge were the only BYU players to score in double figures.
Washington State had a worse shooting night, going 16 for 49, but the seven 3-pointers in the second half were too much for BYU to overcome.
Jeff Varem had 11 rebounds and made two clutch free throws with 13 seconds remaining to help seal it.
After Kelati put Washington State up 46-41 on two free throws with 39 seconds left to play, Ainge made it interesting with a 3-pointer that got BYU to 46-44 with 18.2 seconds remaining. BYU fans thought Washington State traveled on the inbounds play, but there was no call and Chris Schlatter called time out to avoid a turnover.
Washington State got the ball in on a long pass to Varem, who was immediately fouled by Meads with 13.1 seconds left in the game. Varem hit the first free throw, then the second after a time out to seal it.
Ainge added a layup with 7.6 seconds, but Shami Gill was fouled right away and went 1 for 2 from the line to make it a three-point game with 6.7 seconds remaining.
Ainge brought the ball up for a final attempt, but it was way off at the buzzer and Washington State avoided a three-game losing streak.
Non-conference Washington State 49, BYU 46
Washington State (4-3)–Cowgill 1-2 0-0 3, Varem 2-8 4-6 8, Henry 1-4 0-0 2, Low 0-2 0-0 0, Kelati 5-9 2-3 15, Akognon 3-8 0-0 9, Schlatter 1-3 0-0 2, Green 2-4 0-0 6, Gill 0-5 1-2 1, Weaver 0-0 0-0 0, Simmons 1-2 0-0 3, Harmeling 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 16-49 7-11 49.
BYU (2-6)–Meads 0-2 2-2 2, Dawes 1-1 4-7 6, Hall 1-10 0-0 3, Rose 6-13 0-0 15, Ainge 7-12 0-0 16, Young 1-3 0-0 2, Nashif 0-1 0-0 0, Reichner 0-0 0-0 0, Burgess 0-0 0-0 0, Balderson 0-4 0-0 0, Jensen 0-1 0-0 0, Miles 1-1 0-0 2. 17-48 6-9 46.
Halftime–BYU 25, Washington State 18. 3-point goals–Washington State10-19 (Akognon 3-4, Kelati 3-6, Green 2-4, Cowgill 1-1, Simmons 1-1, Varem 0-1, Harmeling 0-1, Schlatter 0-1), BYU 6-25 (Rose 3-9, Ainge 2-6, Hall 1-6, Balderson 0-3, Nashif 0-1). Fouled out–None. Rebounds–Washington State 36 (Varem 11), BYU 31 (Meads 10). Assists–Washington State 13 (Varem, Kelati, Schlatter 3), BYU 11 (Ainge 4). Total fouls–Washington State11, BYU 14. A–10,283.