When BYU starts to make 3-pointers, coach Kevin Young is excited to see what the No. 22 Cougars can do.
BYU gets another crack at connecting from beyond the arc when it hosts Colorado on Saturday in Provo, Utah.
In its past two games, BYU (18-6, 6-5 Big 12) committed a total of just 11 turnovers. The Cougars dropped the first of those contests against then-No. 7 Houston on Saturday, their fourth consecutive loss, before picking up a 99-94 win at Baylor on Tuesday.
BYU ended the skid despite shooting 3 of 19 on 3-point attempts.
“When the threes start falling for us, the lid is going to blow off this thing,” Young said. “When you don’t turn it over, our offense becomes all the more potent.”
After a 13-game winning streak that stretched from Nov. 21 to Jan. 14, the Cougars have just two wins in their past seven games.
Against Baylor, AJ Dybantsa piled up 36 points and former Bears point guard Robert Wright III added 30 points. It was another slow start for BYU, who trailed by 12 points before a rally tied the game entering halftime.
BYU is No. 19 in the NCAA NET, is 5-6 in Quad 1 games but 13-0 vs. Quads 2 through 4 foes. The Cougars appear to be on solid footing when it comes to making the NCAA Tournament, and Young wants them to continue to be resilient in a challenging conference.
“There’s always adversity,” Young said. “You aren’t just going to steamroll, especially through the Big 12. Did I think we’d get to the point of losing four straight? No, I did not. But honestly, I’m proud of our response. … It’s a long season and you’ve got to ride the wave.”
Meanwhile, the Buffaloes (14-11, 4-8) are 2-2 in their past four games. No. 16 Texas Tech cruised to a 78-44 home win over Colorado on Wednesday. Little went right for the Buffaloes, who managed just 22 points in each half. Freshman guard Isaiah Johnson led the way with 13 points and Ian Inman added 12 points off the bench.
Buffaloes coach Tad Boyle handed out a series of apologies to everyone involved in the Colorado program after the game.
“I’m embarrassed by our performance,” Boyle said. “I’m embarrassed for our university. I’m embarrassed for the city of Boulder. I’m embarrassed for the state of Colorado, and I’m embarrassed for every former player that has worn the uniform. We’ve got to own this.”
Colorado struggled to 29.1% shooting from the field and 24% (6 of 25) from 3-point range. While Johnson was a spark off the bench for the first 17 games of the season, he has increased his average slightly since being inserted in the starting lineup, from 16.1 points per game as a reserve to 16.3 since.
Johnson connected on 5 of 9 field-goal attempts against the Red Raiders and added three rebounds and two assists.
The Buffaloes are 1-6 in true road games, where Boyle wants them to show more grit.
“We have to play tougher, that’s the bottom line,” Boyle said. “We are just not tough enough on the road. When things get tough and the other team starts making shots and the crowd gets going, we start feeling sorry for ourselves and can’t make a shot. Instead of coming down, digging in and getting a stop and maybe creating offense with defense … anytime things get tough, we’ve got no heart.”
–Field Level Media
