BYU basketball: Cougars beat the Ducks 79-65

SALT LAKE CITY – The Cougars handled the Ducks with ease at Energy Solutions Arena, winning 79-65. BYU used two big runs at the start of each half to build big leads without many counter-punches thrown by Oregon in between.

About the only struggle the Cougars had was during the first three minutes of the game, as they found themselves down 8-0 at the 17:03 mark. Coach Dave Rose then called timeout, made some adjustments and his team responded, going on a 16-3 run to build a 16-11 lead.

The Cougar run was marked by increased intensity, particularly on the defensive end of the court. Stephen Rogers finished off the run in style, making good on a rare four-point opportunity.

The Cougars went on to take a 38-31 lead into the halftime locker room with senior Noah Hartsock leading the way with nine points, two blocked shots and eight total rebounds, including three of them on the offensive end. His point total was matched by freshman center Nate Austin, who injected a lot of energy coming off the bench.

After Oregon scored the first basket of the second half, BYU went on to reel off 13 straight points on a run that was fueled by the play of Brock Zylstra. The Cougar swingman contributed consecutive three-point plays in a run that all but did the Ducks in for good.

BYU made its run during the second half without the services of Brandon Davies, who collected his third foul at the 18:03 mark. Austin subbed in for Davies, scoring nine points while collecting not only six rebounds but a bloody nose with his aggressive and confident play before fouling out.

After many experiments at the position, Rose seemed to have rested on freshman Anson Winder manning the spot – at least until the debut of Matt Carlino against Baylor on Dec. 17. Winder played a total of 37 minutes, scoring 10 points, dishing out six assists and running the offense effectively from start to finish.

The Cougars were led by senior Noah Hartsock who finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots. Stephen Rogers again played big off the bench, scoring 16 points which included four three-point baskets.

The Cougars move to 6-2 with the win and will take on Weber State at home in their next game on Dec. 7.

Email: bgurney@desnews.com

Twitter: @BrandonCGurney