BYU vs. Iona: Report Card

DAYTON, Ohio — BYU gained its composure and mounted one the biggest comebacks in Cougar history, defeating Iona 78-72 to play its way into the final 64. Grades are in for every position group regarding their performance.

Frontcourt

Noah Hartsock was a complete non-factor through much of the first half, but once the team found him he delivered. Hartsock finished with a team-high 23 points on 10-14 shooting from the field. None of his points were bigger than his 3-pointer late in the game that gave BYU its first lead.

Brandon Davies was aggressive and dominated the inside throughout the game. He finished with 18 points on 8-14 shooting and had 15 rebounds. He missed some critical free throws late and turned the ball over seven times, but despite that, he owned the post late, when it mattered.

Nate Austin hit a 3-pointer in the first half, but didn't play in the second as Coach Dave Rose chose to ride Davies and Hartsock the rest of the way. Grade: A

Wings

Charles Abouo was not a factor in the game — sitting out almost the entire second half as Rose was clearly not happy with his play. He finished with just two points on 1-5 shooting from the field.

Brock Zylstra's effort was going the way of Abouo's until he showed up late — hitting a big 3-point basket and then sealing the improbable comeback with a 3-point play. He finished with six points on the night.

DaMarcus Harrison provided some very good minutes off the bench, giving BYU a big lift while hitting some key shots. He finished with 12 points on 4-6 shooting in what may have been his best game as a Cougar.

Anson Winder contributed big to BYU's run with some key defensive pressure and a couple of 3-point baskets. He finished with eight points on the night. Grade: B

Point

Matt Carlino struggled mightily throughout the game, forcing Rose to bench him for almost the entire second half. He finished with just six points and five turnovers in 22 minutes of play.

The stat sheet won't show it, but Craig Cusick played a huge role in BYU's comeback. While Carlino was rushing things and flayling away, Cusick gave BYU a steady and realiable presence at the point which helped change the course of the game. Cusick didn't score a point, missing on all four of his shot attempts, but his contributions otherwise were invaluable. Grade: C+

Email: bgurney@desnews.com

Twitter: @BrandonCGurney