"We're leaving free throws out there at crucial times that we need to be able to convert on," Rose said.

Don't count out the young big guy just yet: Since spraining his ankle in practice earlier this month, freshman forward Noah Hartock has been missing in action. He sat out four games, played briefly against Portland last week and did not play in Phoenix on Saturday.

"He was still in a situation where I felt he wasn't totally 100 percent," Rose said. "But he's getting better and in a position to where he can play with total intensity. I think Noah will really be able to help this team in certain spots."

NO HARM IN THE RANKINGS: Saturday's one-point loss didn't make much difference either way in BYU's status in the rankings. The Cougars are still one spot out of the ESPN/Coaches polls and dropped from four spots out in the AP poll to six spots out.

CHRISTMAS CHEER VERSUS BASKETBALL GEAR: It's a challenge through the holidays for coaches and players to mix time away from basketball with time focused on basketball. Rose is a coach that likes consistency in practice times and practice amounts.

With Christmas on Thursday, the Cougars won't practice on Wednesday or Thursday, before returning for practice Friday night and again on Saturday. They leave for next Tuesday's game at Tulsa on Monday.

"You just have to rely on the maturity of the players and hope that they can still concentrate," Rose said.

E-mail: jimr@desnews.com