PROVO, Utah – The BYU basketball team lost a tough one in the Diamondhead classic to the Vanderbilt Commodores 69-67.

It was a controversial finish as Alex Barcello appeared to be fouled on a potential game tying shot attempt in the final seconds.

Here are my three observations from a missed opportunity in Hawaii.

1. BYU basketball turnovers were costly

It’s hard to win basketball games when you turn it over 19 times.

The Cougars did a lot of things well in this game, but turnovers late really hurt BYU.

With 1:34 left in the game, Gideon George made a great play poking the ball away from Scotty Pippen Jr.

Caleb Lohner grabbed the loose ball and began to advance the ball up the court.

BYU tonight lost a game for the first time this season when leading with 5:00 remaining in regulation.

BYU tonight lost a game for the first time this season when holding an opponent to fewer than 70 points.

Tonight's game was BYU's first this season decided by 5 pts or fewer.

— Greg Wrubell (@gregwrubell) December 24, 2021

While looking to make a pass, Pippen Jr stole it away from Lohner and made an easy lay-up.

There’s no denying the 18 points off turnovers scored by the Commodores were huge for Vanderbilt.

It’s the first win of the season for Vanderbilt when trailing at halftime.

2. Fousse on the glass

True freshman Foussenyi Traore has been one of the real surprises of the non-conference portion of the schedule for BYU.

Only a freshman. Fousseyni Traore is going to be a foundational piece for #BYU's future in the Big 12.

He just keeps getting better.#BYUHoops

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) December 24, 2021

His role has been elevated with season ending injuries to Richard Harward and Gavin Baxter,  and he’s ready for the moment.

Traore pulled down a career high 15 rebounds in the loss helping the Cougars out rebound Vanderbilt by 12.

It was also his first time pulling down double digit rebounds.

That’s a good sign going forward for a team that lacks size.

3. Trevin Knell from deep

After a slow start to the season, Knell is heating up from the three point line.

Against Vanderbilt, he scored 10 points while making three of five attempts from deep.

Knell has made 10 of his last 21 attempts since his breakout performance of the season against Utah State.

It’s critical that BYU can rely on others to score the basketball consistency besides Alex Barcello if they want to make another trip to the NCAA tournament.

You can hear Matt Baiamonte every Saturday on KSL Newsradio for Cougar Sports Saturday from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. or you can find him on Twitter here.