BYU vs. San Diego Box Score

PROVO, Utah – Junior Brandon Davies led the BYU men’s basketball team to an 88-52 victory over West Coast Conference foe San Diego with 21 points and a career-best 22 rebounds Saturday at the Marriott Center.

Davies’ performance puts him into the elite 20-20 club and gives him his seventh career double double. Davies came up just short of the Marriott Center rebound record of 23, which was set in 1982.

Seniors Noah Hartsock and Charles Abouo also scored in double figures and contributed 15-points apiece. The win gives BYU, 12-4 overall and 1-1 in league play, its first WCC victory in its inaugural season in the conference.

The Cougars started the game with a 13-0 run following the opening bucket by the Toreros. Hartsock scored the first eight points for BYU and Davies put an exclamation point on the run with a strong one-handed dunk at the 16:24 mark.

Strong defense helped BYU maintain a double-digit lead for the majority of the first half as San Diego missed 12 of their first 13 shots. The Cougars had their biggest lead of the half following an Abouo trey at the 10:26 mark that put BYU up 18-5.

Freshman Matt Carlino helped the Cougars finish the half strong with eight points in the final three minutes. Hartsock led BYU with 13 first half points while Davies snagged 14 first half rebounds to give BYU a 34-24 halftime lead.

Senior Brock Zylstra sparked a 20-4 BYU run out of the locker room when he converted a four-point play to give BYU a 40-26 lead. Craig Cusick and Nate Austin each hit a three during the run, which gave BYU a 54-28 lead with 13:09 left on the clock.

Abouo scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half to help secure the win. Davies capped his 20-20 performance with a deep two-point field goal with just under two minutes left and the Cougars ended the game on an 11-0 run.

BYU will continue WCC play on Jan. 5 in Los Angeles against Loyola Marymount. The game is scheduled to tipoff at 6 p.m. PST and will be broadcast on KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM.

BYU will host San Diego in a West Coast Conference matchup on Saturday, Dec. 31, at 4 p.m. MST.

BYU vs. San Diego Game Notes

BYU Cougars (11-4, 0-1 WCC)

• Head Coach: Dave Rose (Houston, 1983)
• Career Record: 170-49 (7th season)
• Record at BYU: Same

— vs. —

San Diego (5-7, 0-0 WCC)

• Head Coach: Bill Grier (Oregon, 1990)
• Career Record: 60-82 (5th season)
• Record at San Diego: Same

Series Information

• BYU leads 2-0
• Last Meeting: BYU won 64-49, 12/11/02
• Provo: 1-0
• San Diego: 1-0
• Neutral: 0-0

Game Information

• Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011 • 4 p.m. MST
• Provo, Utah • Marriott Center (22,700)
• TV: BYUtv
• TV Talent: Jarom Jordan (play-by-play) and Blaine Fowler (analyst)
• Live Video: BYUtv.org
• Radio: KSL 102.7 FM / 1160 AM ° BYU Radio - Sirius XM 143
• Radio Talent: Greg Wrubell (play-by-play) and Mark Durrant (analyst)
• Live Audio: KSL.com
• Live Stats: BYUcougars.com

Up Next

BYU will play at Loyola Marymount in a WCC matchup on Thursday, Jan. 5, at 6 p.m. PST. Listen live on the radio beginning with the pregame show at 5 p.m. PST on KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM and 1160 AM or via the Internet at KSL.com. The game will be televised live on BYUtv and BYUtv.org.

Quick Hits

• Saturday’s game against San Diego will be BYU’s first West Coast Conference game in the Marriott Center. The Cougars were members of the Mountain West Conference from 1999 to 2011. During that time they won six conference titles, including four under Dave Rose, and posted a conference record of 126-54 (.700). In Rose’s six seasons coaching in the MWC, BYU won at least 12 conference games and finished no worse than second place.
• Senior Noah Hartsock has been BYU’s most consistent contributor this season, averaging 17.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.0 blocks per game. He has scored in double figures in every game this season, has shot .500 or better in all but two games and .600 or better in seven games.
• Freshman Matt Carlino has scored in double figures in his first five collegiate games. He had an 18-point debut against Baylor, a double-double against Buffalo with 10 points and 11 assists, 22 points vs. UC Santa Barbara, 19 points vs. Cal State San Marcos and 13 at Saint Mary’s.
• Junior Brandon Davies is having a well rounded season, averaging at least one of everything at 12.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.4 steals. He has also posted two double-doubles with 18 points and 13 rebounds against No. 6 Baylor and 14 points and 13 boards vs. Cal State San Marcos. He posted career highs of 28 points and 5 steals at Saint Mary’s.
• Dave Rose is one of the most successful coaches in the history of BYU basketball. He is second in program history in wins (170), first in winning percentage (.776) and has led the Cougars to five-straight NCAA Tournament berths and four conference titles. He also earned three Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year awards.