BYU vs. Gonzaga Box Score

BYU vs. Gonzaga Postgame Notes

PROVO, Utah – BYU fell to No. 6/6 Gonzaga 79-65 in the last regular season game of the season Saturday night at the Marriott Center.

"First of all, congratulations to Gonzaga for winning the championship," BYU assistant head coach Tim LaComb said. "We competed with them in stretches, but they had several guys step up and make plays and that's what championship teams do. We were happy with some moments. In the first half it could've gotten away from us, but our guys really showed some character and got that thing back. We just have to move forward and get ready for next week and the tournament."

Yoeli Childs led the Cougars on offense with 19 points and eight rebounds. Elijah Bryant followed with 16 points, coupled with four rebounds and three assists. Jahshire Hardnett tied his career-high of two 3-pointers and added 11 points altogether.

A Hardnett 3-pointer was the first basket of the game, putting the Cougars up 3-0, but Gonzaga went on to score two more baskets, taking a 4-3 advantage.  

After a jumper from Childs, the Bulldogs went on a 16-3 run, putting BYU behind by double-digits, 20-8 with 12:51 remaining on the clock in the first half.

The Cougars brought the score within six points after an 8-0 run, 26-20 with 8:43 left, but Gonzaga capitalized on BYU fouls and again increased their lead to double-digits, 32-22.

Back-to-back 3-pointers from Bryant brought the Cougars within two points with 2:17 to go in the first half, 38-36.

The Bulldogs closed out the first half with a 3-pointer and the Cougars went into halftime behind, 43-38. At the end of the half, BYU was shooting 48 percent from the field while the Zags were shooting 57 percent.

Gonzaga opened up the second half with a three-pointer making the score 46-38. The Bulldogs continued to push their lead as they increased it to double-digits at 52-41.

Gonzaga quickly took control of the game going up by 21 points with 9:00 left on the clock, 69-48. A 9-4 run for the Cougars brought the score within 14 points, but ultimately the Bulldogs took the win, 79-65.

At the conclusion of the game, BYU shot 38.6 percent from the field compared to the Zags 55.4 percent.

The Cougars will now prepare for the West Coast Conference Championships in Las Vegas. The quarterfinal round begins on Saturday, March 2.

BYU Game Notes

BYU men's basketball will close out the regular season Saturday by hosting No. 6/6 Gonzaga in the Marriott Center at 6 p.m. MST.

Saturday's game will be televised live on ESPN2. The game with also be broadcast live on the BYU Sports Network on BYU Radio – Sirius XM 143 and KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM/1160 AM.

BYU Storylines

• With BYU’s win against Portland and Pacific losing to San Francisco on Thursday, the Cougars clinched the No. 3 seed in the 2018 Gorilla Glue West Coast Conference Basketball Championships. BYU’s opponent, the No. 6 seed, will be determined after the conclusion of Saturday’s games.
• Over the last five games, Dalton Nixon has emerged as BYU’s most reliable bench scorer, averaging 8.8 points per game. He had one of his best scoring games of the season at Portland as he hit 5 of 10 from the field and a career-best 2 of 4 from 3-point range for 14 points.
• TJ Haws has had some of his best scoring nights in his three career games against Gonzaga, including scoring 26 in Spokane this season. Last season, he had 29 at home vs. the Bulldogs and he hit five 3s at Gonzaga.

BYU Cougars (22-8, 11-6 WCC)

• Head Coach: Dave Rose
• Alma Mater: Houston, 1983
• Division I Career Record: 327-119 (13th)
• Record at BYU: Same

No. 6/6 Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-4, 16-1 WCC)

• Head Coach: Mark Few
• Alma Mater: Oregon, 1987
• Career Record: 529-117 (19th)
• Record at Gonzaga: Same

Game Information

• TV: ESPN2
• TV Talent: Eric Rothman (play-by-play), Caron Butler (analyst)
• Live Video: WatchESPN.com
• Radio: BYU Sports Network, BYU Radio Sirius XM 143, 102.7 FM/1160 AM
• Radio Talent: Greg Wrubell (play-by-play), Mark Durrant (analyst)
• Live Stats: BYUcougars.com

Series Information

• Series Record: Gonzaga leads 13-6
• Last Meeting: Gonzaga won 68-60, 2/3/18
• H/A/N: 2-4/3-4/1-5