BYU basketball: Jimmer Fredette scores record 52 points, Cougars defeat Lobos

BYU vs. New Mexico box score

LAS VEGAS — Just when it seemed like the world had seen it all from BYU guard Jimmer Fredette, he did the unthinkable Friday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Fredette exploded for a career-high 52 points — shattering the career school scoring record (surpassing legend Danny Ainge), and the school single-game scoring record in the same game — to lead the No. 8 Cougars to an emotional 87-76 triumph over their nemesis, New Mexico, in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament.

In a town known for entertainment, The Jimmer Show reigned supreme.

Top-seeded BYU (30-3) avenged the Lobos' regular-season sweep and advanced to the MWC Tournament finals against San Diego State.

The MWC championship game tips off today (5 p.m. Versus).

"He's a scorer, a great scorer at that," Lobo guard Kendall Williams said of Fredette. "It piled on. It was a great game. He's a great player."

"Obviously, Fredette had one of those career nights," said UNM coach Steve Alford. "Very, very special talent. He put on an incredible performance."

And what did Fredette think of his effort?

"It was just a great night," he said. "I knew I was having a good game. I was just making shots tonight."

The senior from Glens Falls, N.Y., knocked down 22 field goals, just eight fewer than the entire New Mexico team. He was 22-of-37 and 7-of-14 from 3-point territory. Amazingly, Fredette attempted only one free throw, and that came with 4:24 left in the game.

The MWC player of the year, who has already been named national player of the year by several media outlets, scored his 49th point, to eclipse Ainge's mark, and tie the single-game school record of 49, which he already held, and drew a foul.

Then Fredette calmly drained a free throw to reach the 50-point milestone, recording the highest-scoring performance in school history.

Fredette added one more bucket with 56 seconds left to give him 52 points. Rose removed him from the game with 16.1 seconds on the clock, to the deafening roars of BYU fans in attendance.