BYU basketball: Y. rolls to easy tune-up victory

PROVO — Arizona couldn't stop BYU's Jimmer Fredette earlier this week, but flu-like symptoms did.

Fredette, who scored a school-record 49 points in the Cougars' 30-point victory over the Wildcats Monday, was sidelined for Saturday night's glorified scrimmage against Division II foe Eastern New Mexico due to illness.

The junior guard and fellow starter Jackson Emery, who is suffering from a bruised heel, both sat on the bench wearing street clothes.

Not that BYU needed them on this night.

Even with Fredette and Emery — the team's top two leading scorers — reduced to spectators, the Cougars (14-1) cruised to an easy 95-49 victory over the Greyhounds before a crowd of 11,293 at the Marriott Center.

All 11 BYU players who saw action Saturday scored, including sophomore guard Michael Loyd Jr., who came off the bench to pour in a career-high 17 points. Senior Jonathan Tavernari added 15 while senior Chris Miles had 13 and sophomore Noah Hartsock chipped in 12.

"I was pleased with the way the guys stepped up with Jimmer and Jackson out," said coach Dave Rose, whose team hosts UNLV Wednesday in its Mountain West Conference opener.

The Cougars shot a season-best 73 percent from the floor in the first half and 60 percent for the game. Hartsock was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, Tavernari was 6-for-7 and Loyd Jr. was 7-for-11.

"It felt really, really good," Tavernari said of his performance. He was shooting only 36 percent from the floor going into Saturday's contest.

"I tried to let the game come to me. I needed to see the ball go through the hoop and get my confidence back."

The Cougars are rolling, having won nine consecutive games. That's what matters most, Tavernari said. "We're 14-1. If we're 30-1 and I'm still shooting 20 percent (from 3-point territory), I'm the happiest guy in America."

Tavernari and Loyd each knocked down three 3-pointers to lead BYU's offensive assault.

"It felt good to get into the flow," said Loyd, who sported a bandage protecting six stitches over his right eye — the result of battling for a loose ball with Tavernari in practice earlier this week.

Fifteen of Loyd's 17 points came in the first half as he drilled all six of his shots from the floor. BYU went into the locker room at halftime with a commanding 57-27 advantage.