BYU basketball notebook: Freshman center Ian Harward was a bright spot for Cougars vs. Notre Dame

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — BYU freshman Ian Harward figured he would see fairly significant playing time Saturday night against Notre Dame.

He was right.

The 6-foot-11 center knew that Brandon Davies might get into early foul trouble, and he knew that the Cougars' other big man, Nate Austin, was nursing an injured ankle.

"I was prepared if anything happened. They were going to need me," Harward said.

And Harward responded when Davies sat down with his second foul with 15:18 remaining in the first half.

Harward provided BYU with a lift inside, scoring seven points in eight minutes of play in the first half. He ended up playing a total of 11 minutes before fouling out in the second half.

"A big part of our offense is pass the ball around and get it in the post and see what happens," Harward said. "We run that offense religiously. The ball came in, (and) I did what they teach us to do every day."

The Cougars ended up losing to the Fighting Irish, 78-68, in the Coaches vs. Cancer consolation game at the Barclays Center.

"Ian was really good with the minutes that he got," said coach Dave Rose. "But he gets five fouls in a short period of time, so there will be a learning curve for him, too. But those were the best 11 minutes that he's played to date. That was good. That's something to build on."

For Harward, his performance was a confidence-booster.

"It helps it out a lot, actually," he said. "I was having a rough one there. … This is a good step forward."

Will Davies' foul trouble be something that will continue all season?

"I don't think so," Harward said. "Brandon's a smart, smart player. It's going to be a matter of him focusing on that kind of stuff. It will all work out. I have complete confidence that he'll be able to be in the game."

20-SOMETHING: BYU guard Tyler Haws scored 21 points against Notre Dame. He has now scored 20-plus points in the first four games of the season.

NOTES: Forward Josh Sharp recorded a career-high 10 rebounds, including seven offensive boards. … The game was tied at 16, 24, 26, 28 and 30 in the first half, and at 38, 40, and 49 in the second half. … BYU will face Texas-San Antonio Wednesday at the Marriott Center.