BYU Basketball Questions Answered In Win Against Evansville
Dec 5, 2023, 9:28 PM | Updated: Dec 6, 2023, 1:06 pm
PROVO, Utah – The No. 14 ranked BYU basketball team took care of business against Evansville winning 96-55.
Let’s answer some questions from the final home game before a big rivalry game against Utah.
Who was the MVP for BYU basketball?
BYU had five players score in double figures. Any one of those guys could be named the most valuable player.
With that being said, I’m giving the nod to Jaxson Robinson.
The Cougars lead the country in bench scoring. Robinson is a starting-caliber player who is thriving in a score-first role off the bench.
Robinson led BYU in scoring against Evansville with 19 points.
. @Robinsonjaxx goin' OFF 😮💨
📺: https://t.co/n1bb0GPQ4U pic.twitter.com/DZqnbNfOG8
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) December 6, 2023
However, it was a personal 7-0 run late in the first half that ended any momentum for Evansville after they had trimmed the lead down to single digits.
It’s incredibly hard to defend BYU when they bring in the second unit and Robinson pours in double-digit points.
What was the most interesting stat from the game?
The nation’s leading three-point shooting team in made threes didn’t disappoint against the Purple Aces.
BYU extends its program record double digit 3-point streak to eight games.#BYUHoops #GoCougs
— BYU Game Notes (@BYUGameNotes) December 6, 2023
BYU made 14 of 32 three-point attempts shooting 44 percent from deep.
They outscored Evansville by 29 points from behind the line.
The great equalizer in basketball is the long ball and this team is letting it rip from deep.
Offensively, they are playing faster and it’s helping create open shots.
“It’s fun,” said Trevin Knell postgame regarding getting out in transition.
With BYU shooting as well as they are from three, it’s beginning to feel like this team has the ingredients to get back to the NCAA tournament.
What was the play of the game?
After Evansville cut the BYU lead to 9 points with six minutes left in the first half, Jaxson Robinson got hot from deep.
Robinson made back-to-back triples to give the Cougars some breathing room.
His second made three came in the corner where Purple Aces defender Yacine Toumi was late to close out.
Toumi made contact with Robinson who drew the foul after making the shot.
Jaxson Robinson's 14 first half points are the second-most of his career.
He had 15 against Westminster last season where he went 5-of-5 from three.#BYUHoops #GoCougs
— BYU Game Notes (@BYUGameNotes) December 6, 2023
It was a high-arcing three-point shot that hit nothing but the net.
BYU ended the first half on a 12-0 scoring run. Robinson jump-started the offense with his shot-making.
When was the game won for BYU basketball?
Noah Waterman made the first shot of the second half. It was a three-point bucket that gave the Cougars a 25-point lead.
You had the feeling after his made shot that BYU was going to heat up and blow the game open.
That’s exactly what happened.
Up next: The Utah Utes in the Hunstman Center.
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.
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