LARAMIE -- BYU's Mountain West Conference woes continued Monday night as the Cougars fell 83-71 to the Wyoming Cowboys in Laramie, opening league play 0-3 for the first time in the Steve Cleveland era.

"I was pleased with our aggression level but if you can't hit open shots on the road, you're not going to win," said BYU head coach Cleveland. "We're not getting stops or making shots when we need to. When you play like this, you're not going to win any conference games."

The Cougars got off to a characteristic slow start, falling behind by as many as eight points in the first 10 minutes of play. An 11-2 BYU run capped by a Mike Rose three-pointer gave the Cougars their first lead at 24-23, but it was short-lived as the Cowboys came back to take a 35-31 halftime lead. BYU's top two scorers, Mike Hall and Austin Ainge, combined for a total of two first half points as the Cougars have now shot 18-70 (.250) in the opening periods of the last two games.

BYU fought back to open the second half, tying the game at 39 with the help of Hall, who found the net for eight points in the first eight minutes of the period. But Wyoming proved resilient throughout the half, knocking down critical shots and pushing the lead. The Cougars consistently clawed their way back to within two or three points only to be answered on the other end as BYU could not find a way to get stops. A five-minute field goal drought to end the game did the Cougars in as they scored their last six points from the free throw line while the Cowboys padded their lead, eventually earning the 12-point win.

Hall finished the game with a team-high 16 points and was the only BYU starter in double figures. Rose added 13 points while Derek Dawes scored a career-high 11 and Keena Young contributed 10, all off the bench. Just one game removed from a career-high 25 points, Ainge scored only two points against the Cowboys. Young, who leads the Cougars in rebounds, pulled down a team-high five boards.

Wyoming's Dion Sherrell led the Cowboys with a season-high 19 points. Justin Williams, the league's top shot-blocker, recorded four rejections while also adding 19 points.

As a team, BYU shot 37.7 percent from the field and has now made 35.8 percent of its buckets in league play. The Cougars are averaging 43 percent on the season. Wyoming shot 50.8 percent from field goal range, equaling the highest shooting percentage BYU has allowed all season. The Cougars also managed just 22.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc compared to the Cowboys' 39 percent effort from three-point range. The nation's 15th ranked free throw shooting team, BYU hit 78 percent (21-27) from the line, topping its season average.

At 6-12 overall, the Cougars will now head home for three games, beginning with a matchup against the Air Force Falcons on Saturday. The 11 a.m. Marriott Center tip will be broadcast regionally on ABC television.

Official Basketball Box Score -- GAME TOTALS -- FINAL STATISTICS
Brigham Young Cougars vs Wyoming Cowboys
1-17-05 10:05 p.m. at Laramie, Wyo.
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VISITORS: Brigham Young Cougars 6-12, 0-3 MWC
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
01 HALL, Mike.......... f  4-12   1-3    7-8    2  1  3   2  16  1  2  0  2  34
54 MILES, Chris........ f  0-2    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   2   0  0  0  0  0   3
52 JENSEN, Jared....... c  2-7    0-0    0-0    2  2  4   4   4  1  1  1  0  26
13 AINGE, Austin....... g  0-8    0-6    2-2    1  3  4   0   2  3  2  0  2  27
23 BALDERSON, Jimmy.... g  2-4    1-2    4-6    0  4  4   4   9  0  0  0  0  23
02 ROSE, Mike..........    4-8    1-5    4-4    1  2  3   2  13  0  2  0  0  17
03 YOUNG, Keena........    5-7    0-0    0-0    1  4  5   0  10  1  2  2  0  16
12 REICHNER, Brock.....    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   0   0  0  0  0  0   5
20 BURGESS, Sam........    1-2    1-2    0-0    0  2  2   1   3  1  2  0  1  14
41 MEADS, Garner.......    1-2    0-0    1-2    0  2  2   2   3  0  2  0  1  12
43 DAWES, Derek........    4-9    0-0    3-5    3  0  3   0  11  0  1  2  0  23
   TEAM................                         4  3  7
   Totals..............   23-61   4-18  21-27  14 24 38  17  71  7 14  5  6 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-33 33.3%   2nd Half: 12-28 42.9%   Game: 37.7%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  3-9  33.3%   2nd Half:  1-9  11.1%   Game: 22.2%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  6-8  75.0%   2nd Half: 15-19 78.9%   Game: 77.8%    3
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HOME TEAM: Wyoming Cowboys 9-7, 1-2 MWC
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
01 LEVEN,Steve......... f  1-10   1-5    0-0    0  3  3   0   3  3  2  0  0  26
21 WILLIAMS, Justin.... f  8-9    0-0    3-3    1  6  7   2  19  1  4  4  0  30
13 DUNN, Alex.......... c  4-10   0-0    2-4    4  5  9   4  10  1  2  0  0  22
00 SHERRELL, Dion...... g  7-11   5-9    0-0    0  2  2   1  19  4  0  0  1  32
03 STRAIGHT, Jay....... g  6-14   2-6    0-1    1  5  6   1  14  5  1  0  1  40
02 WEBB, Jerry.........    2-4    1-2    1-2    1  0  1   5   6  0  1  0  1  15
05 LEWIS, Kevin........    0-1    0-1    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  1   7
34 ANDERSON,Chris......    0-0    0-0    0-2    1  2  3   0   0  0  2  0  0   3
54 WABBINGTON, Derek...    4-4    0-0    4-8    1  3  4   4  12  1  1  0  0  25
   TEAM................                         3  1  4
   Totals..............   32-63   9-23  10-20  12 27 39  17  83 15 13  4  4 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-29 41.4%   2nd Half: 20-34 58.8%   Game: 50.8%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  5-12 41.7%   2nd Half:  4-11 36.4%   Game: 39.1%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  6-13 46.2%   2nd Half:  4-7  57.1%   Game: 50.0%    5
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Officials: Steve Welmer, Verne Harris, Mark Whitehead
Technical fouls: Brigham Young Cougars-None. Wyoming Cowboys-None.
Attendance: 7360
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Brigham Young Cougars.........   31   40  -   71
Wyoming Cowboys...............   35   48  -   83
ID-298408
Points in the paint-BY 30,WY 38. Points off turnovers-BY 16,WY 15.
2nd chance points-BY 17,WY 12. Fast break points-BY 4,WY 2.
Bench points-BY 40,WY 18. Score tied-2 times. Lead changes-2 times.

BYU (6-11, 0-2 MWC) continues the Front Range road swing on Monday in Laramie when the Cougars take on the Wyoming Cowboys (8-7, 0-2 MWC) in a nationally televised 10 p.m. (MST) tilt on ESPN. The radio broadcast can be heard on KSL Newsradio 1160 (KSL.com).

UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS

BYU returns home to host reigning regular-season MWC champion Air Force Saturday at 11 a.m. (ABC). The Cougars then host New Mexico Monday night at 8 p.m. (SportsWest, UPN-Z24 in Utah).

BYU GAME #18 FAST FACTS

BYU COUGARS (6-11, 0-2 MWC) at WYOMING COWBOYS (8-7, 0-2 MWC)

MONDAY, JAN. 17, 2005

ARENA-AUDITORIUM (15,000)

LARAMIE, WYO. 10 p.m. MST

Coaches:

BYU, Steve Cleveland (135-98 in eighth season; same overall)

Wyoming, Steve McClain (119-76 in seventh season; same overall)

Series:

BYU leads, 92-67 (BYU swept the season series last year and downed Wyoming in the MWC quarterfinals)

TV:

ESPN (Dave Pasch calls play-by-play with Jimmy Dykes adding analysis)

Radio:

KSL 1160, BYU Sports Network (Greg Wrubell calls play-by-play with Brian Santiago adding commentary)

Web:

Live audio and live stats are available at byucougars.com/basketball_m/ (select 2004-05 schedule)

COUGAR QUICK HITS

- BYU has won in Laramie the past two seasons, winning on consecutive trips to Wyoming for the first time since victories in 1995 and 1996. The Cougars are looking to achieve only their third-ever three-game victory streak in Laramie. During the all-time series dating back to 1929, BYU has only twice won more than two consecutive trips to Laramie, winning six straight in Wyoming from 1972-1977 after a three-game victory string from 1963-1965.

- Monday's game at Wyoming will be Steve Cleveland's 234th game as coach of the Cougars, moving him into a second for all-time games coached at BYU ahead of Ott Romney (1927-35). Stan Watts is the all-time leader with 626 games on the BYU bench over 23 seasons (1949-72).

- Senior guard Mike Hall leads BYU in scoring at (13.5 ppg). Sophomore guard Austin Ainge adds 10.2 ppg and leads BYU with 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals. Senior center Jared Jensen scores 9.8 ppg and sophomore guard Mike Rose adds 9.7 ppg. Sophomore transfer Keena Young and sophomore forward Garner Meads each average 5.5 rebounds with sophomore center Derek Dawes contributing 4.9 rpg.

- BYU shoots .429 from the floor, .371 from three and .757 (No. 1 MWC, 8th nationally) from the line while averaging 68.8 ppg. BYU opponents have shot .422 (FG) and .343 (3FG) while scoring 69.0 ppg.

- The 10 BYU players averaging double-digit minutes this season include six sophomores, three seniors and one freshman. Of BYU's freshmen top-20 signing class, only F/C Chris Miles is currently playing (12.3 minutes). Both David Burgess (ankles) and Trent Plaisted (knees) are currently out while top guard prospect and Arizona Player of the Year Lee Cummard has not been with the Cougars this season after opting to serve an LDS Church mission. After returning early, he will join the Cougars next season.

- BYU's schedule this season has included four Pac-10 opponents and two nationally ranked ACC teams (North Carolina and NC State). BYU (6-11) is 4-4 at home, 1-4 away and 1-3 on a neutral floor.

LOOKING AT WYOMING

With an 8-7 overall record, the Wyoming Cowboys are off to an 0-2 start in the Mountain West Conference after dropping contests at New Mexico (89-75) and against Utah at home (74-49). The Cowboys also pulled out a 49-47 win over Cougar opponent Washington State during non-league play in December. Wyoming is 6-2 in Laramie this season and 76-16 at home under current head coach Steve McClain. The Cowboys are led by senior guard Jay Straight, who averages 17.6 points per game. Straight, a Second Team All-MWC selection last season, has scored 20+ points in five games so far this season and, with 1,309 career points, is just 13 points short of moving into 16th place all-time at Wyoming. He also ranks in the top five in the MWC in six statistical categories, coming in first in minutes played (38.8), second in assists (5.13 apg), third in steals (1.6 spg), fourth in scoring (17.6 ppg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.22-1.00) and fifth in three point field goals made (2.00 pg). Steve Leven, a 6-5 sophomore from Australia, is second on the team in scoring with 12.4 ppg. Senior Alex Dunn rounds out the double-digit scoring averages for the Cowboys, contributing 10.6 ppg. Dunn also leads the team and is third in the MWC in rebounding, pulling down 8.5 boards per game. Junior Justin Williams dominates on defense, leading the MWC and ranking 11th in the nation with 3.0 blocked shots per game. Wyoming is tied for tenth in the nation in blocked shots, averaging 5.6 bpg. As a team, the Cowboys shoot 44.6 percent from field goal range, including 34 percent from beyond the arc, and 65.7 percent from the free throw line while scoring 70.8 points per game. Wyoming allows its opponents to shoot 44.1 percent from the field, 38.2 percent from three-point range and 66.3 percent from the charity stripe for an average of 71.7 points per game. Head coach Steve McClain is 119-76 overall in his seventh year at Wyoming's helm and has compiled 41 MWC wins, second only to BYU head coach Steve Cleveland.

LAST OUTING - Cowboys Fall to Hot-Shooting Utes

LARAMIE -- Reserve forward Jonas Langvad scored a career-high 19 points - 15 over his per game average - in leading Utah to its ninth consecutive victory with an easy 74-49 win over Wyoming on Saturday. Bryant Markson added 15 points, Tim Drisdom 13, and Andrew Bogut 12 for the Utes (14-3 overall, 2-0 Mountain West Conference). Marc Jackson recorded 10 assists. Utah scored the game's first 16 points - half of them by Markson, who had 11 points in the first half - and the Utes never faced a serious challenge the rest of the contest. Wyoming, which missed its first 10 shots and hit just 28.6 percent from the field in the first half, didn't get on the scoreboard until Chris Anderson hit one of two free throws at the 10:18 mark. Wyoming (8-7, 0-2) would get no closer than 13 points the rest of the game as Utah led 32-16 at halftime and went ahead by as many as 32 points in the second half. Jay Straight led the Cowboys with 12 points - six below his average. Kevin Lewis had 10, all in the second half after not playing in the first half. The Cowboys finished the game shooting 37 percent from the field (18-of-49), while Utah made 59 percent (27-46). Utah also outrebounded Wyoming 35-22.

WYOMING'S PROJECTED STARTERS

Pos. # Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG

F 1 Steve Leven 6-5 205 So. 12.4 2.3

F 21 Justin Williams 6-10 225 Jr. 7.5 5.4

C 13 Alex Dunn 7-0 255 Sr. 10.6 8.5

G 0 Dion Sherrell 6-4 210 Sr. 9.7 2.0

G 3 Jay Straight 5-11 178 Sr. 17.6 3.9

BYU SERIES RECORD VS. WYOMING

Overall Series Record: BYU leads 92-67

BYU Record in Provo: 61-13

BYU Record in Laramie: 27-52

BYU Record at Neutral Sites: 4-2

BYU Record under Steve Cleveland: 10-4

BYU Record in Overtime Games: 1-3* (all in Laramie)

*0-1 in 2OT games (1981 in Laramie, 84-86)

Last OT Game: 1981, lost in Laramie, 84-86 (2OT)

Longest BYU Win Streak: 12 (1972-77)

Longest Wyoming Win Streak: 9 (1942-46)

Largest BYU Margin of Victory: 35, 78-43 in 1966

Largest Wyoming Margin of Victory: 32, 63-31 in 1931

Most Points Scored by BYU: 102 in 1965

Most Points Scored by Wyoming: 107 in 1966

SERIES NOTES

This will be the 160th meeting between the two schools. BYU leads the series 92-67, including three wins last season. The Cougars have swept the season series the past two years. BYU's prior season sweep was in 1996. BYU has won eight of the last 10 games in the series and has won nine of 12 meetings between the two schools since the formation of the Mountain West Conference. The two teams split the season series with home wins in 2002, 2001, 2000 and 1998. They did not meet in 1999. Wyoming swept the series in 1997 during BYU's 1-25 season to end four straight BYU wins in 1995 and 1996. After Utah (237 games) and Utah State (222 games), BYU has faced Wyoming the third-most times in its history. Wyoming has a 52-27 advantage in Laramie while BYU boasts a 61-13 record in Provo. BYU has a 4-2 edge on a neutral floor, including a 2-0 advantage in conference tournament play after BYU's win at last year's MWC Tournament in Denver. BYU has won six straight in Provo since Steve Cleveland took over as head coach. Steve Cleveland is 10-4 vs. Wyoming.

OPPORTUNITY FOR RARE THIRD STRAIGHT WIN IN LARAMIE

BYU has won in Laramie the past two seasons. BYU had last won consecutive trips to Wyoming in 1994-95 and 1995-96. The Cougars have twice achieved winning streaks in Laramie longer than two games during the series against the Cowboys, which dates back to 1929. BYU won six straight in Wyoming from 1972-1977 after a three-game victory string from 1963-1965.

LAST YEAR IN LARAMIE -- BIGELOW'S BIG GAME LIFTS COUGARS OVER COWBOYS

LARAMIE -- Mark Bigelow scored 21 points, including 16 in the first half, to lead three Cougars in double figures past the Cowboys 67-53 Saturday afternoon in the Arena-Auditorium. BYU jumped out to a quick lead in the first half as Mike Hall and Bigelow each hit three-pointers to open the game for the Cougars, and Bigelow added another basket to cap an 8-0 run. The Cougars extended their lead to 10 at 25-15 with just over seven minutes left in the game following Bigelow's fourth three of the first half, but the Cowboys would reel off 10 straight points to tie the game at 25, before BYU would extend its lead to three at the half. Rafael Araujo was sitting on the bench during Wyoming's run with two fouls, allowing the Cowboys to score in the paint. Before Araujo was forced to sit because of foul trouble, he was playing excellent post defense, picking up two steals in the first half and three overall. BYU opened the second half much like they did the first half, extending its lead to 11 points with 12:10 on a basket by Luiz Lemes, capping a 6-0 run by the Cougars. The Cowboys kept hanging around, cutting the Cougars' lead to six points at 56-50 after a three-point basket by Mikel Watson. Wyoming had an opportunity to cut BYU's lead to four, but David Adams, a 77 percent free-throw shooter, missed two straight foul shots, and BYU outscored the Cowboys 11-3 to close the game and account for the final score.After hitting just 5 of 34 three-pointers in two games last week, the Cougars recovered to hit 7-of-15 in this game, including a season-high four three-pointers by Bigelow. "I told Mark, 'If you're open, shoot the ball," Cleveland said, trying to infuse confidence in the senior forward. Hall followed up his 20-point game with another solid outing scoring 13 points and Araujo added 12 points and nine boards, just missing his 13th double-double of the season. Joe Ries led the Cowboys with 16 points and 11 rebounds. With the victory the Cougars end a five-game losing streak on the road and improve to 5-4 in the conference and 15-7 overall, while the Cowboys drop to 2-7 in the conference and 9-13 overall.

WHAT BYU COACH STEVE CLEVELAND HAD TO SAY AFTER THE GAME ...

"You win games like these typically with seniors. I told Mark, 'If you're open, shoot the ball.'Mark along with Rafa (Araujo), Shoff, Woodberry and Lemes gave us a big lift tonight. In the last five minutes of the game, we were in control. Road wins are always the ones you cherish the most."

LAST YEAR IN PROVO -- MEADS, BIGELOW SET CAREER MARKS IN WIN OVER WYOMING

PROVO -- Monday night's game at the Marriott Center saw both freshman Garner Meads and senior Mark Bigelow set career marks as the BYU men's basketball team (12-4, 2-1) defeated Wyoming (8-8, 1-2) 78-64. Meads became the first Cougar besides senior Rafael Araujo to record a double-double this season as he recorded his first career double-double, posting 13 points and pulling down 10 rebounds in 26 minutes, career highs in both categories for the forward. Bigelow contributed 10 points on the night, which were good enough to move him past Kresimir Cosic for No. 9 on the all-time BYU scoring list. He also set a career high in assists with nine dishes on the night. In all, four of the five Cougar starters scored in double figures led by senior Rafael Araujo who was active in every part of the game with 24 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocked shots. Senior guard Luiz Lemes contributed 17 points on 6-10 shooting and was 2-4 from behind the three-point line. Midway through the second half Cougar junior Jared Jensen went down with an injury as he fell to the floor trying to get a rebound and Araujo fell on top of him. Early reports indicate a sprained back and it is uncertain how long he will be out. In the first half, Wyoming jumped out to the early lead in the game after a three-point shot by Jay Straight that put the Cowboys up 2-5. The lead didn't last long as the Cougars used an 18-2 run to take a commanding lead in the first period. After the run the Cougars struggled to hold the lead as the Cowboys battled their way back into the ball game and closed the gap with another three-pointer this time by David Adams that tied the game up at 29-29 with 2:30 left in the half. The Cougars responded by outscoring the Cowboys 8-2 in the final minutes of the half, capping it off with a block by Araujo that sent the ball out to Bigelow. Bigelow raced down the court and found Michael Hall for an alley-oop dunk that brought the Marriott Center to its feet with 16 second left in the half. Meads came out strong for the Cougars in the second half, scoring the team's first six points of the half to put BYU up 43-34. With 11:53 left in the game, Bigelow hit a three pointer to put the Cougars up 50-43 and lifted him past Cosic on the career-scoring list. Wyoming made several attempts to get back in the game and take the lead, but the Cougars continued to pull away from the Cowboys, largely behind the team's free throw shooting, as BYU preserved its perfect 8-0 record at home this season and won the game 78-64. Araujo set a career-high in free throw attempts and free throws made as he went 12-17 from the line. Cleveland knows the margin of victory could have been greater had the team shot better than 66 percent on 27-57 shooting from the stripe.

WHAT BYU COACH STEVE CLEVELAND HAD TO SAY AFTER THE GAME ...

"Offensively they (BYU players) did exactly what I wanted them to do. Hopefully we will continue that kind of offense throughout the season. We did miss some free throws, but other than that we played well."

LAST YEAR AT MWC TOURNAMENT -- COUGARS HOLDS OFF COWBOYS TO ADVANCE TO MWC SEMIFINALS

DENVER -- BYU got one step closer to the Mountain West Conference title with a 79-75 win over the No. 7 seed Wyoming Cowboys in only the second postseason meeting between the two teams. With the victory the Cougars' improve to 4-1 in MWC Quarterfinal games, extend their current winning streak to nine straight games and also get one step closer to ensuring themselves a bid into the NCAA Tournament. "It was another great college game," said BYU head coach Steve Cleveland. "I think we can make a really good case that we belong (in the NCAA Tournament) but the best way to make that case is just to keep winning." And winning is what BYU has done, improving their overall record to 21-7, while the Cowboys finish their season at 11-17 overall. "There were several people for us that stepped up, probably none bigger than Luiz in making some big baskets," said Cleveland. Leading the Cougars in scoring was senior point guard Luiz Lemes, who turned in a team-high 18 points and three assists in 37 minutes of play. Other Cougars who stepped up were seniors Rafael Araujo and Mark Bigelow along with junior Mike Hall who had great performances with all three Cougars scoring in double-digits in the afternoon game. Both Bigelow and Hall had 13 points while Araujo recorded his 15th double-double of the season with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting and 14 boards, his second highest rebound total of the season and second highest in MWC Tournament history and most ever by a senior. In the first half, the Cougars fell behind 6-7 but it didn't last long as the Cougars mounted a 12-3 run to pull ahead of the Cowboys for the rest of the game. Araujo, Bigelow and Shoff each chipped in eight points in the half for BYU, teaming up for 24 of the Cougars' 32 points. The highlight of the half came as Araujo blocked a Wyoming shot, gathered the ball, passed it out to senior guard Kevin Woodberry who found Bigelow streaking down the sideline and hit him with an outlet pass for a wide open two-handed jam that brought the Cougar fans to their feet. Shoff then reeled off six straight points for the Cougars to go up 26-18 with under five minutes left in the half. BYU went on to close out the half with a pair of free throws by junior forward Jared Jensen, up 32-27 going into the break. The Cougars came out strong in the early going of the second half, putting up five unanswered points to go up by 10. Wyoming answered back with a 6-0 run of their own, including back-to-back steals and layups by David Adams to pull within four at 39-35. BYU fought to get some breathing room, pushing its lead to 12, the largest of the game, at 52-40 behind three-point baskets by Lemes and Hall. With 6:13 left in the game, senior forward Jake Shoff and Wyoming's David Rottinghaus were called for a double foul as the two fell to the floor away from the ball. The foul sent Shoff to the bench with his fifth foul. Wyoming instituted a full-court press through most of the half in an effort to force the Cougars to turn the ball over, but BYU was able to beat the press each time. "It was hard because we've never had that before," said Lemes, "There were 6-foot-9, 6-foot-10 guys against me, a 6-foot-3 guard. That was pretty tough but our guys did a good job against the press." The Cowboys managed to chip away at the Cougars' lead through the next five minutes, closing the margin to four points with less than two minutes to go in the game at 70-66. Free throws became key for the Cougars' down the stretch as the Cougars hit 7-of-8 shots from the line in the closing minute where they did not score a field goal. With less than 20 seconds to play, it was Woodberry's defensive play on Wyoming's Jay Straight that sealed the victory as Woodberry blocked Straight's three-point attempt, grabbed the ball and dribbled out the clock for the 79-75 win.

BYU's LAST OUTING - Late Surge Falls Short Against Rams

FORT COLLINS -- BYU's Austin Ainge caught fire early and never cooled off in leading the Cougars with a career-high 25 points, but Colorado State's bench lifted the Rams past BYU 74-67 at Moby Arena. CSU's bench overwhelmingly outscored the Cougar bench, 47-8. "We need our bench to score more," BYU head coach Steve Cleveland said. "And we have to make shots on the road if we want to win." Ainge got the Cougars off to a quick start, connecting on a long range three-pointer and two free throws to take a 5-0 lead. BYU's early lead quickly disappeared as the Rams capitalized on Cougar turnovers and a dismal 18.9 percent first-half shooting performance. BYU's leading scorer Mike Hall was held scoreless in the opening period. The Rams ran away with a 10-0 run late in the first half to take a 32-22 lead into the locker room. In the second half, the Cougars jumped on the Rams with a quick 6-0 spurt and continued to crawl back, eventually taking a 43-42 lead at the 11-minute mark. But the Rams regained the lead for good on a lay-up by freshman 7-footer Jason Smith, who scored a career-high 19 points. With under a minute left to play, Ainge brought the Cougars within three on back-to-back three-pointers, but the Rams sharp free-throw shooting gave CSU the victory and continued its unbeaten record at home this season. "It came down to execution on both sides of the floor," Cleveland said. "Chris (Miles) and Jared (Jensen) both played well in the second half offensively and defensively." BYU finished the game shooting 35 percent from the field. Mike Hall contributed 11 points while Jared Jensen scored nine points and equaled a career-high 10 rebounds. Miles added eight points and a career-best seven rebounds while assisting in holding CSU's leading scorer Matt Nelson to just 11 points. BYU is now 0-10 when scoring less than 70 points. At 6-11 overall and 0-2 in the Mountain West Conference, BYU will continue the Front Range road swing on Monday in Laramie when the Cougars and Cowboys tip-off in a nationally televised 10 p.m. (MST) tilt on ESPN.

NOTES FROM LAST BYU OUTING

- Sophomore point guard Austin Ainge scored a career-high 25 points to lead all scorers. His five treys also set a new career mark.

0 Senior center Jared Jensen recorded double-digit rebounds for the fourth time in his career to equal a personal-best 10 boards. Two of his 10-rebound games have come against the Rams as Jensen grabbed 10 rebounds against Colorado State in Provo last season.

- Jared Jensen's missed his first free throw since going 0-1 on Dec. 18 vs. Utah State. He made 23 straight before misfiring on his first attempt Saturday vs. the Rams. He made his final three shots from the line to go 3-of-4 on the night.

- Senior guard Mike Hall has made 15 straight free throws. He was 2-for-2 against CSU at the line while scoring all 11 of his points in the second half.

- Freshman forward/center Chris Miles grabbed a career-best seven rebounds, including a personal-high 5 offensive boards, to go along with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting. Miles made his third start of the season and logged 19 minutes while assisting in holding CSU's leading scorer Matt Nelson to just 11 points.

- BYU's 18.9 percent shooting in the first half at CSU was its second-worst shooting first half this season, just slightly better than the 18.5 percent the Cougars made in their season-opening loss to nationally ranked North Carolina.

- BYU attempted a season-high 30 three-point shots at CSU, converting on only eight attempts (.267).

- Colorado State went to the free-throw line 38 times, 13 more attempts than any other BYU opponent this season. The Rams totaled 26 points at the line. BYU was 11-for-13 at the charity stripe.

- BYU's loss at CSU ended a two-game winning streak at Mobey Arena as the Cougars swept the Front Range road trip the past two seasons. The loss also halted BYU's three-game conference road winning streak.

- Scoring 67 points against the Rams, the Cougars fall to 0-10 on the season when scoring less than 70 points. BYU is 6-1 when topping 70 points, with the lone defeat an 87-82 setback at USC.

FREE THROW RECORDS SET THIS SEASON

The Cougars set a school record by making 33 consecutive free throws until finally misfiring against San Diego State. BYU set a single-game record to start the streak by making 24 straight free throws against Santa Clara on Dec. 31. The 33 straight free throws spanned three games. No. 1 in the MWC, BYU is ranked No. 8 nationally in the latest NCAA free throw percentage statistical leaders.

AINGE PROVING POINT

Point guard Austin Ainge is one of BYU's young players taking advantage of his opportunity for playing time this season. He has earned the starting position, making the last nine starts. He scored a career-high 25 points at CSU Saturday. He had a career-high 7 rebounds vs. Santa Clara, 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting vs. Utah State and a career-most 8 assists vs. NC State and MSU-Billings. He is now earning the majority of the point guard minutes with senior Terry Nashif coming off the bench. Overall, he is second on the team in scoring at 10.2 ppg and leads the team in assists at 3.8 apg and steals (1.4 spg).

JENSEN MODEL OF EFFICIENCY

Jared Jensen has made 36 of his last 51 field goal attempts (.706) and has made 26 of his last 27 free throws. On the season Jensen leads the team in both categories, shooting .596 (4th in MWC) and .875 from the line (No. 1 in MWC, 15th nationally).

JENSEN GOING TO THE BOARDS

Jared Jensen's 10 rebounds at CSU Saturday tied his career high. In the first 12 games, Jensen averaged 3.2 rebounds but over the last five games he is averaging 7.2 rebounds.

SCORING SPREE

BYU's 59-point second half against Santa Clara is its most points in a half under head coach Steve Cleveland. BYU also achieved its largest first-half production in the Cleveland era with 57 points in the first 20 minutes vs. Montana State-Billings. Prior to this season, the previous high for a half under Cleveland was 56 first-half points against Rice in 2002. BYU's 110 total points against MSUB is its highest point total since 1995.

SHOOTING PERCENTAGE/WINNING PERCENTAGE

BYU is 6-1 when out shooting its opponent and 0-10 when the opponent has the better percentage. After shooting below 40 percent in six of its first 10 games, the Cougars topped 50 percent shooting the three games (all wins) prior to shooting 41 percent at Saint Mary's. BYU then rebounded with another great shooting night against MSU-Billings, shooting 54.8 percent from the floor and a season-high 62.5 percent from three-point range. BYU made only 35 percent at CSU Saturday. BYU shot 52 percent vs. Santa Clara and made 50 percent from the floor and 57 percent on threes (12-of-21) vs. Southern Utah. The Cougars made a season-high 60 percent from the floor and 54.5 percent on threes in its win at Weber State.

INJURY ISSUES

BYU has suffered through several different injury issues this year. Sophomore forward Garner Meads has missed five games overall this year due to injury (three games foot, two games ankle). Tests proved negative for a stress fracture in his foot and he was able to return to action last vs. San Diego State. Meads had already missed two games (ankle) earlier this season. Sophomore center Derek Dawes has played the last eight games with a broken thumb and missed most of the last three games due to a shoulder injury. Freshman center David Burgess is scheduled for ankle surgery and will be out for the season, and freshman forward Trent Plaisted is out indefinitely (knee). Both made limited appearances early in the seasons. Junior transfer Josh Reisman, a 6-1 guard who played in only one game for five minutes, had a second surgery to repair the broken nose he suffered during the summer and won't return. Senior F/C Jared Jensen did not start and played limited minutes vs. Utah State due to food poisoning and junior forward Joshua Burgess has been slowed by back problems. Freshman F/C Chris Miles is the only Cougar post player not to have his play limited during the regular season due to illness or injury.

CURRENT BYU WIN/LOSS STREAKS ...

At home 1-0

On the road 0-2

On a neutral floor 0-1

At home vs. Nonconference 3-0

At home vs. MWC 0-1

On the road vs. Nonconference 0-1

On the road vs. MWC 0-1

On a neutral floor vs. Nonconference 0-1

On a neutral floor vs. MWC 0-1

at regular season tournament 1-0

at MWC Tournament 0-1

at NCAA Tournament 0-5

at NIT 0-1