BYU basketball: Reserves provide the spark to Cougars' victory

SALT LAKE CITY — In handing the Utah Utes a humiliating defeat in the Huntsman Center Wednesday night, BYU's bench has never looked deeper.

"The key was our ability to play a lot of guys tonight, and that way we were able to keep our intensity at a really high level," BYU coach Dave Rose said.

Surprisingly, the Cougars raced out to a comfortable halftime lead and then pulled away in the second half on a night when their starters had their worst shooting game of the season.

"Our first group went in and really gave a good effort to start, but we actually got better defensively as we substituted," Rose said. "Mike (Loyd) was really good. Charles (Abouo) was really good. Brandon (Davies) was really good."

Center Chris Miles missed a jumper to start the game, and then Jackson Emery drilled a 3-pointer from up top to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead. From there, however, BYU's starters missed their next 16 shots. Combined, Miles, Emery, Jimmer Fredette, Noah Hartsock and Tyler Haws were 1 for 12 at the half — yet the Cougars were still up 36-24.

Of BYU's 36 halftime points, 27 were scored by reserves. And surprisingly, reliable sixth man Jonathan Tavernari had none of those 27.

"Our guys came in and spelled (the starters) pretty well," Rose said.

Davies scored a career-high 21 points, hit 7 of 11 free throws and also grabbed seven rebounds.

"When we get everyone involved and everyone working like we did tonight, we're going to be tough to beat," Davies said.

For the first 20 minutes it was Loyd, Fredette's backup at point guard, who burned the Utes with his second straight spectacular half. Loyd, coming off a 19-point second half against New Mexico last weekend, came off the cushions when Fredette picked up his second foul early, and he scored 18 in the opening half on 7-of-13 shooting.

"I shot open shots and just went where the defense allowed me to go," Loyd said.

Loyd finished with 18 points, but also had three assists and four steals.

"Jimmer went down with two, so I went in and just tried to hold them off as long as I could. … I like to be a spark. I like to come off the bench and help the team out," he said.

Davies had six at the break and Abouo three. Through 20 minutes, BYU's bench had hit 10 of 19 shots.