BYU basketball: Cougars hold, now tied atop the MWC

PROVO — Just like they did against UNLV earlier this week, the BYU Cougars jumped out to a solid first-half lead on Saturday night against the San Diego State Aztecs.

But unlike their previous game, this time the Cougars withheld a second-half charge and held on for a 77-71 win at the Marriott Center. The victory by BYU leaves six Mountain West Conference teams now tied atop the standings with two losses. The Cougars next game is Tuesday against the Utah Utes in Salt Lake City.

The Cougars got things done with the same kind of ball movement and shooting that they were getting prior to their two-game slump. BYU led twice by 12 points in the first half thanks to 59 percent shooting, while the Aztecs made only 41 percent. While San Diego State heated up slightly in the second half, shooting 47 percent to give the Cougars a scare, BYU still shot a respectable 52 percent in the final frame to maintain an 8-to-11 point lead for most of the final half.

The Aztecs closed to within 70-66 in the final two minutes, but a 3-pointer by Jonathan Tavernari gave the Cougars some breathing room. They sealed the deal by hitting 4-of-4 free throws in the final minute.

The Cougars were led in scoring by Tavernari and Lee Cummard, who tallied 16 points each. Lamont Morgan Jr. came off the bench to score a career-high 12. He also dished out five assists. Cummard had 10 rebounds and six assists.