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PROVO -- The No. 15/14 BYU men’s basketball team got a boost from junior Noah Hartsock's double-double and fought off a pesky Air Force team 76-66 on Saturday afternoon in front of a sellout crowd at the Marriott Center.

"It was a hard fought game but we were prepared well and played hard," head coach Dave Rose said. "Air Force is a very physical team. They sped us up a little bit and we didn't shoot the ball as well we are capable of but it was another one of those games where our guys found a way to win and that's really important."

BYU shot 42.1 percent from the field on 24-of-57 shooting, hitting just 9-of-30 three-point shots but made up the difference outrebounding the Falcons 38-25, and hitting 19-of-22 free throws.

"The pace of this game was affected by the number of fouls called but it was a physical game and both teams played physical," Rose said. "We were able to get to the free throw line and convert our free throws which was a big plus for us in this game."

Hartsock scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while senior Jimmer Fredette led all scorers with 22 points. Senior Jackson Emery recorded his 195th career steal, moving him into a tie with Danny Ainge for the BYU record.

The Cougars and Falcons traded baskets for much of the first half, each team playing solid defense with BYU holding a 15-12 lead with 11:35 until halftime.

Junior Charles Abouo had six points, including a three-pointer with 5:24 left in the half amidst a 9-0 Cougar run to extend the BYU lead to 29-17.

Air Force remained in the contest, answering back with a 7-0 run later in the half to cut into the lead. BYU went into the break up 37-30.

Hartsock carried the Cougars with a strong first half performance, tallying six points and bringing down nine rebounds. Fredette added nine points to lead all scorers at halftime.

The Cougars came out of the gates firing after the break, going on an 11-3 run in the first two minutes after the break to push their lead to 48-33.

The three-point line heated up for BYU, with three different players hitting from behind the arc. Hartsock, Fredette and senior Logan Magnusson knocked down treys on consecutive possessions to open up a 57-40 lead with 15:26 remaining.

The Falcons would not go quietly, cutting the lead to single digits at 65-56 with 4:25 on the clock. Trading baskets for the final three minutes, the Cougars would go on to a 10-point victory, 76-66.

No. 15/14 BYU will play at instate rival Utah on Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 6:30 p.m. MT in the Hunstman Center. Live stats and audio links will be available on www.byucougars.com and fans can listen live on the radio beginning with the pregame show at 5:30 p.m. MT on KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM and 1160 AM out of Salt Lake City. The game will be televised live on The Mtn.

Official Basketball Box Score
Air Force vs BYU Cougars
01/08/11 1:02 pm at Marriott Center, Provo, Utah
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VISITORS: Air Force 10-5, 1-1 MWC
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
20 FOW, Tom............ f  3-8    2-5    0-0    1  2  3   2   8  1  1  0  0  20
34 BROEKHUIS, Taylor... c  3-5    0-1    3-6    0  3  3   2   9  1  2  0  0  30
10 FLETCHER, Todd...... g  2-6    0-3    1-2    1  2  3   2   5  1  2  0  3  30
14 LYONS, Michael...... g  5-9    0-1    4-4    0  3  3   4  14  1  1  0  2  28
35 WASHINGTON, Evan.... g  4-7    0-1    0-1    1  5  6   4   8  3  1  0  2  36
05 FITZGERALD, Mike....    3-3    3-3    4-4    0  2  2   1  13  0  2  0  0  15
13 BOHANNON, Zach......    0-1    0-0    0-2    0  0  0   0   0  1  0  1  0   8
24 BROOKS, Derek.......    2-7    1-3    2-2    0  2  2   4   7  2  3  0  0  22
32 HEMPSEY, Shawn......    0-2    0-0    2-2    0  1  1   0   2  0  0  0  1  11
   TEAM................                         2     2
   Totals..............   22-48   6-17  16-23   5 20 25  19  66 10 12  1  8 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-25 44.0%   2nd Half: 11-23 47.8%   Game: 45.8%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  3-11 27.3%   2nd Half:  3-6  50.0%   Game: 35.3%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  5-9  55.6%   2nd Half: 11-14 78.6%   Game: 69.6%   3,1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: BYU Cougars 16-1, 2-0 MWC
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
00 DAVIES, Brandon..... f  2-4    0-0    6-7    3  3  6   5  10  1  2  0  1  19
34 HARTSOCK, Noah...... f  5-8    2-2    0-0    4  7 11   4  12  2  0  0  0  36
04 EMERY, Jackson...... g  2-11   2-11   2-2    1  2  3   1   8  5  3  0  1  37
31 COLLINSWORTH, Kyle.. g  2-5    0-1    3-4    3  3  6   0   7  3  2  1  0  25
32 FREDETTE, Jimmer.... g  6-14   3-8    7-7    0  3  3   1  22  2  4  0  0  38
01 ABOUO, Charles......    3-7    1-4    1-2    1  3  4   3   8  1  0  0  1  16
12 MAGNUSSON, Logan....    1-2    1-1    0-0    1  1  2   4   3  0  0  0  0  10
13 ZYLSTRA, Brock......    0-1    0-1    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   2
21 ROGERS, Stephen.....    3-5    0-2    0-0    0  1  1   4   6  1  2  0  1  17
   TEAM................                            2  2
   Totals..............   24-57   9-30  19-22  13 25 38  22  76 15 13  1  4 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-31 38.7%   2nd Half: 12-26 46.2%   Game: 42.1%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  4-15 26.7%   2nd Half:  5-15 33.3%   Game: 30.0%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  9-10 90.0%   2nd Half: 10-12 83.3%   Game: 86.4%    2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Rick Batsell, Tony Padilla, Glen Mayberry
Technical fouls: Air Force-None. BYU Cougars-None.
Attendance: 22700
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Air Force.....................   30   36  -   66
BYU Cougars...................   37   39  -   76
Marriott Center sellout.
Jackson Emery ties Danny Ainge for school record in career steals - 195.
Points in the paint-AF 22,BY 26. Points off turnovers-AF 13,BY 14.
2nd chance points-AF 4,BY 18. Fast break points-AF 2,BY 6.
Bench points-AF 22,BY 17. Score tied-2 times. Lead changed-3 times.
Last FG-AF 2nd-01:19, BY 2nd-00:43.
Largest lead-AF by 5 1st-18:39, BY by 18 2nd-14:10.

Conference Opener vs. Air Force on Saturday

No. 15/14 BYU basketball will play its 2011 MWC home opener on Saturday, Jan. 8, vs. Air Force at the Marriott Center at 1 p.m. MT. The Cougars are 15-1 overall and 1-0 in MWC action after defeating UNLV 89-77 in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Jimmer Fredette scored a season-high 39 points vs. UNLV, Jackson Emery added 22 and Brandon Davies had a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards. Fredette is now averaging 25.1 points and 4.4 assists while Emery adds 12.4 points and 2.9 steals and Davies contributes 11.2 points and 5.5 boards per game. Air Force is 10-4 overall and 1-0 in MWC action after opening league play with a 77-69 home win against Utah. Michael Lyons scored 26 points and Tom Fow added 17 points in the win. Lyons leads the team in scoring at 13.6 points per game while shooting .546 from the field. Fow adds 12.6 points per game while Broekhuis averages 11.8 points and 5.2 boards. Saturday’s game can be heard live on KSL Newsradio beginning with the pregame show at 12 p.m. MT on 102.7 FM and 1160 AM out of Salt Lake City or via the Internet at KSL.com. The game will be televised live on The Mtn.

Up Next

No. 15/14 BYU will play at instate rival Utah on Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 6:30 p.m. MT in the Hunstman Center. Live stats and audio links will be available on www.byucougars.com and fans can listen live on the radio beginning with the pregame show at 5:30 p.m. MT on KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM and 1160 AM out of Salt Lake City. The game will be televised live on The Mtn.

Cougar Quick Hits

— No. 15/14 BYU head coach Dave Rose is 142-41 in his six seasons at BYU and is the program’s all-time leader in winning percentage at .776 and third in wins.

— The Cougars were ranked in the AP Preseason Poll for the first time since the 1980-81 season and are currently ranked No. 15 in the AP Poll and No. 14 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.

— Jimmer Fredette has been named to eight preseason All-America teams (AP, ESPN.com, Sporting News, SI.com/Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times, Athlon Sports, Dick Vitale and Blue Ribbon Magazine). Fredette is averaging 25.1 points, 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game this season.

— Senior guard Jackson Emery is second on the team in scoring at 12.4 points per game and adds 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and a team-best 2.9 steals per game. He has posted four-plus steals seven times this season. Brandon Davies is third on the team in scoring at 11.2 points per game on .564 shooting. He has scored in double figures 10 times this season, including seven of the last eight games.

BYU GAME #17 FAST FACTS

No. 15/14 BYU (15-1, 1-0) vs. Air Force (10-4, 1-0)

Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011

Marriott Center

Provo, Utah

1 p.m. MT

Coaches

BYU, Dave Rose (142-41 in sixth season at BYU; same overall)

Air Force, Jeff Reynolds (46-60 in fourth season at Air Force; 128-94 in eighth season overall)

Series

BYU leads 52-12, including 10-consecutive Cougar wins in the series

Radio

KSL Newsradio (102.7 FM/1160 AM) and the Cougar Sports Network

(Greg Wrubell, play-by-play; Mark Durrant, game analysis)

TV

The Mtn. (James Bates, play-by-play; Mark Durrant, game analysis)

Web

Live audio and live stats links are available on the men’s basketball schedule page at www.byucougars.com/basketball_m/

Looking at Air Force

2010-11 Record: 10-4, 1-0

Conference: Mountain West

2009-10 Record: 10-21, 1-15 (9th)

2010 Postseason: None

Highlights:

- Air Force has equalled last season’s win total with 10 victories, including an MWC-opening victory against Utah. Michael Lyons scored 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting to go with five rebounds, two assists and one block against the Utes. Tom Fow added 17 points, four boards and two assists and Air Force shot .521 from the field and .429 from three.

- Michael Lyons leads the team in scoring at 13.6 ppg while Tom Fow and Taylor Broekhuis also average double figures at 12.6 ppg and 11.8 ppg. Derek Brooks adds 9.8 ppg and Evan Washington adds 8.9 ppg. Broekhuis leads the team in rebounding at 5.2 boards per game while Washington leads with 3.4 assists per game. Washington posted 11 assists against Utah.

- Air Force shoots .482 from the field, .357 from three and .734 from the free throw line while averaging 68.5 points per game. Falcon opponents average 62.9 points and shoot .387 from the field and .348 from three.

Coach: Jeff Reynolds (Fourth season at Air Force)

Air Force’s Last Outing — Air Force Holds Off Utah, 77-69, in MWC Opener

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) - Conference victories have not been a regular occurrence for the Air Force men’s basketball team in recent years, so they made sure to savor Wednesday night’s triumph.

Michael Lyons took an outlet pass from Evan Washington, slammed it home, was fouled and made the free throw with 1:47 remaining to give Air Force the lead for good in a 77-69 victory over Utah in a Mountain West Conference opener Wednesday night.

Lyons scored a career-high 26 points and brought the Clune Arena crowd to its feet with the emphatic dunk while being fouled by the Utes’ Will Clyburn. After a steal at the other end of the court, Derek Brooks connected on a 3-pointer to put the Falcons (10-4) up 72-67.

Air Force hit five free throws in the final 33 seconds to seal the victory, its first against Utah (7-8) in seven games. The win was just the second regular-season conference victory for the Falcons in the last three seasons and gave Utah its fifth consecutive loss this season.

Clyburn, the conference’s second-leading scorer at 19.1 ppg, hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give Utah a 67-66 advantage with 2:40 remaining. He finished with 16 points, while Chris Kupets came off the bench to lead the Utes with 25.

Air Force also got 17 points from Tom Fow, 12 from Taylor Broekhuis and 10 from Brooks.

Utah stayed alive at the 3-point arc, connecting on 13-of-24 shots, while Air Force kept pace at the free-throw line. The Falcons were 18-for-20 from the line, while the Utes did not get to the line until the 14:17 mark of the second half.

“You have to give a great deal of credit to Air Force for the performance they put on today, especially shooting the basketball,” said Utah assistant coach Jeff Smith, who was filling in for head coach Jim Boylen, who was unable to make the trip due to a family illness. “For us, the rebounding effort again reared its ugly head in the second half. If you can’t rebound the ball at the end of close games, it’s difficult to win in any league, especially our league.”

The Falcons out-rebounded the Utes 30-24 despite being at a distinct size disadvantage. Senior Evan Washington was limited to two points, but had a career-high 11 assists - the most assists for a Falcon since A.J. Kuhle had 11 against San Diego State on March 1, 2004.

Air Force will need similar play from its stars in its next three conference games against BYU, UNLV and San Diego State - a trio of teams that boasts a combined 43-4 record so far this season.

Series Notes

BYU leads the all-time series vs. Air Force 52-12, including a 26-4 record in Provo against the Falcons. The Cougars have won 10-straight in the series including a 67-49 win at Air Force and a 91-48 win in Provo last season.

Record Watch

Field Goals

1. Danny Ainge (1977-81) - 987

2. Michael Smith (1983-84, 86-89) - 886

3. Devin Durrant (1978-80, 82-84) - 832

4. Jeff Chatman (1984-88) - 751

5. Fred Roberts (1987-82) - 687

6. Russell Larson (1991-95) - 660

4. Jimmer Fredette (2007-present) - 629

Three-Point Field Goals

1. Jonathan Tavernari (2006-10) - 265

2. Jimmer Fredette (2007-present) - 221

3. Mark Bigelow (1998-99, 01-04) - 213

4. Jackson Emery (2005-06, 08-present) - 178

5. Mike Rose (2003-07) - 163

6. Lee Cummard (2005-09) - 153

7. Andy Toolson (1984-85, 87-90) - 141

Three-Point Field Goal Attempts

1. Jonathan Tavernari (2006-10) - 698

2. Jimmer Fredette (2007-present) - 564

3. Mark Bigelow (1998-99, 01-04) - 559

4. Jackson Emery (2005-06, 08-present) - 449

5. Mike Rose (2003-07) - 381

Free Throws

5. Danny Ainge (1977-81) - 493

6. Fred Roberts (1978-82) - 467

7. Jimmer Fredette (2007-present) - 453

Free Throw Percentage

1. Tyler Haws (2009-10) - .917

2. Michael Smith (1983-84, 86-89) - .878

3. Jimmer Fredette (2007-present) - .875

Assists

3. Nathan Call (1986-88, 90-92) - 528

4. Marty Haws (1986-90) - 502

5. Randy Reid (1992-96) - 458

6. Jimmer Fredette (2007-present) - 426

7. Scott Runia (1976-80) - 405

Steals

1. Danny Ainge (1977-81) - 195

2. Jackson Emery (2005-06, 08-present) - 194

3. Marty Haws (1986-90) - 182

4. Jonathan Tavernari (2006-10) - 165

T-5. Scott Sinek (1981-85) - 140

T-5. Jimmer Fredette (2007-present) - 140

7. Nathan Call (1986-88, 90-92) - 138

8. Russell Larson (1991-95) - 131

9. Lee Cummard (2005-09) - 129

Points

1. Danny Ainge (1977-81) - 2467

2. Michael Smith (1983-84, 86-89) - 2319

3. Devin Durrant (1978-80, 82-84) - 2285

4. Jimmer Fredette (2007-present) - 1932

5. Russell Larson (1991-95) - 1885

Wins Played in

1. Jonathan Tavernari (2006-10) - 103

2. Lee Cummard (2005-09) - 97

3. Jimmer Fredette (2007-present) - 95

4. Russell Larson (1991-95) - 94

T-5. Chris Miles (2004-05, 07-10) - 90

T-5. Mark Durrant (1989-90, 92-95) - 90

T-5. Shane Knight (1991-95) - 90

T-8. Jackson Emery (2005-06, 08-present) - 89

30-Point Games

T-1. Michael Smith (1983-84, 86-89) - 17

T-1. Devin Durrant (1978-80, 82-84) - 17

T-3. Danny Ainge (1977-81) - 12

T-3. Jimmer Fredette (2007-present) - 12