BYU basketball: Cougars use strong inside attack to whip Wagner

PROVO — Every game plan a basketball coach draws up has two goals: To get high-percentage shots for his team and low-percentage shots for the opponent.

For most of BYU's 77-61 win Thursday night over Wagner at the Marriott Center, that's exactly what Cougar coach Dave Rose got.

"We weren't perfect by any means, but I thought for the most part that we were engaged and we were trying to execute the way we wanted to," Rose said.

The game was the first of four the Cougars will play in the HoopsTV Las Vegas Classic. The second comes Saturday at home against Eastern Washington before a game Tuesday afternoon at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas against Nevada. The final game is Wednesday, also at the Orleans Arena, against either Tulsa or Nebraska.

"I was really pleased with the win and the fact that we got to play a lot of guys," Rose said. "We've got that first game over in the tournament and now we can move on and play the next one."

For most of this season, the Cougars (9-1) have earned the label of a run-and-gun, deep-shooting team, taking about 21 shots from 3-point range per game and making 40 percent of those bombs. But in taking charge of Thursday's game, the Cougars went inside early and took it to the rim often — and it started with six quick points in the paint by center Chris Miles to get the Cougars rolling.

"We want to start every game by going in there and seeing how they're going to defend us ... we want to go in there, in the post, as much as we can," Rose said.

The Cougars scored 20 first-half points in the paint, and added another 18 points in the second half in the paint. They also went to the free-throw line 30 times.

"That's what we've been focusing on so we can have an all-around game," said sophomore forward Noah Hartsock, who had another solid outing with 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Of BYU's 28 baskets, 22 were assisted. The Cougars shot 54 percent from the floor in the first half and finished with a 48 percent clip. They took only 12 shots from behind the 3-point line, and it was good thing they were scoring inside because they made only two shots from long distance — both coming late in the second half. The Cougars missed all six 3-point attempts in the second half.

"I've been settling for jump shots too much ... and realized that I have to attack the basket a whole lot more," said Jonathan Tavernari, who scored 14 points and took only two 3-point shots.