Game 22 - BYU vs. UNLV (6 p.m. Tip)

GAME #22 FAST FACTS

BYU COUGARS (14-7, 6-4 MWC)

vs.

UNLV REBELS (13-8, 7-2 MWC)

Saturday, Feb. 11, 2006

Marriott Center (22,700)

Provo, Utah

6:05 p.m. MST

Coaches:

BYU, Dave Rose (14-7 in first year; same overall)

UNLV, Lon Kruger (30-22 in second year; 348-255 in 20 seasons overall)

Series:

The series is tied 10-10 after BYU dropped the first meeting this season in Las Vegas

TV:

ESPN2 (Todd Harris, play-by-play; Bob Valvano game analysis)

Radio:

KSL Newsradio (102.7 FM/1160 AM) and the Cougar Sports Network (5 p.m. MST pregame show -- Greg Wrubell, play-by-play; Mark Durrant, game analysis)

Web:

Live audio and live stats broadcasts are available at www.byucougars.com/basketball_m/

BYU HOSTS UNLV SATURDAY ON ESPN2

BYU (14-7, 6-4 MWC) hosts the UNLV Rebels (13-8, 7-2 MWC) on Saturday night in the Marriott Center. The Cougars have won four of their last five games and are currently tied for third in the Mountain West Conference standings. The Rebels are second in the league having won their last three games. UNLV also defeated the Cougars 82-72 in the first meeting of the season in Las Vegas. The 6:05 p.m. game can be seen live nationally on ESPN2 with Todd Harris and Bob Valvano calling the action. The radio broadcast can be heard on KSL Newsradio (102.7 FM/1160 AM) and the Cougar Sports Network.

UP NEXT

The Cougars have a week to prepare to face Wyoming on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. in Laramie. The game will be a SportsWest Productions telecast available in Utah on KJZZ-14.

COUGAR QUICK HITS

-- Cougar head coach Dave Rose is 14-7 in his first year at the helm after eight years as BYU's lead assistant.

-- The Cougars were picked to finish last in the Mountain West Conference in the league's preseason media poll. BYU is currently tied for third in the MWC (Air Force) with a 6-4 conference record.

-- BYU is 14-7 overall, including 10-1 at home, and has won 10 straight in the Marriott Center, which is tied for 17th in the nation. The Cougars are 3-6 away and 1-0 at a neutral site. BYU scores an MWC-leading 75.7 ppg (tied with Colorado State) and shoots .458 from the field, including .375 from long range and .724 from the line, second in the league. Cougar opponents average 70.9 points on .444 shooting, .350 from three and .715 from the line. BYU pulls down 35.2 rebounds per game, 1.6 more than its opponents. The Cougars dish out an MWC-leading 16.6 assists per game.

-- Redshirt freshman forward/center Trent Plaisted leads BYU in scoring (13.4), followed by senior guard Brock Reichner (11.1). Plaisted is also the Cougars' top rebounder (6.0) followed by junior forward Keena Young (5.7). Junior point guard Rashaun Broadus is second in the MWC in assists (4.1) followed by senior walk-on Brock Reichner (2.71), who is 12th. Nine Cougars are logging 10 minutes or more per game.

LOOKING AT UNLV

The Rebels are 13-8 this season and in second place in the Mountain West Conference with a 7-2 record. UNLV is 3-5 on the road this year and has won 10 of its last 12 games, including the last three. With the loss of first-team All-MWC pick Odartey Blankson, UNLV returns three starters and seven letterwinners from last season's Second Round NIT team. Senior forward Louis Amundson, an All-MWC Honorable Mention pick last year, leads the way for the Rebels this season averaging 13.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, which rank eighth and third in the league, respectively. He is also 11th in the conference in field goal percentage, making 52.5 percent of his shots from the floor. Junior guard Michael Umeh is second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.0 ppg. Guard Jason Petrimoulx, a junior transfer from Dixie State College, averages 10.7 ppg and is UNLV's top assist maker, averaging 3.81 dishes per game, which is third in the MWC. Senior forward Dustin Villepigue, who also transferred from Dixie State College prior to last season, leads the team in field goal percentage, making 63.3 percent of his shots from the floor while scoring 6.7 ppg and 5.2 rpg, second on the team. As a team, the Rebels average 71.7 ppg while shooting 45.2 percent from the floor, including 34.6 percent from three-point range and 64.2 percent from the free-throw line. UNLV opponents are averaging 66.9 ppg on 43.1 percent shooting from the floor, 32.3 percent from beyond the arc and 66.5 percent from the line. The Rebels also average 37.3 rebounds per game, second in the league, while allowing opponents to pull down 34.4 boards per contest. UNLV head coach Lon Kruger is 30-22 in his second year with the Rebels and 348-255 in his 20th year overall.

UNLV'S PROBABLE STARTERS

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

F 22 Louis Amundson 6-9 225 Sr. 13.9 9.5

F 31 Curtis Terry 6-5 205 So. 6.6 2.4

F 41 Dustin Villepigue 6-9 230 Sr. 6.7 5.2

G 1 Jo'Van Adams 6-0 190 Fr. 10.7 3.1

G 13 Jason Petrimoulx 6-4 195 Jr. 10.7 2.8

UNLV's LAST OUTING -- UNLV Tops Wyoming, 66-54

LAS VEGAS (AP) - UNLV's Wink Adams had 15 points and Wendell White added 12 points and 12 rebounds for his first career double-double Saturday night to lead the Rebels past Wyoming, 66-54. Wyoming trailed by as many 15 points in the second half before cutting its deficit to 51-43 with about 9 minutes left. Kevin Lewis started the comeback attempt with a 3-pointer and Justin Williams followed with consecutive dunks. UNLV (13-8, 7-2 Mountain West Conference), however, scored the next six points and to maintain its lead. UNLV was sparked down the stretch by Adams banking a 3-pointer and Jason Petrimoulx hitting three free throws after being fouled on an attempt from behind the arc. Petrimoulx finished with 12 points and Louis Amundson added nine points and eight rebounds for the Rebels. Williams had 16 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks for Wyoming and Brad Jones added 13 points. The Cowboys (11-11, 4-5) lost for the fourth time in five games, committing 26 turnovers and shooting 37-percent.

SERIES NOTES

This will be the 21st meeting in the series between the two schools that dates back to 1981. The series has been a close one with BYU owning a slim lead until a UNLV win earlier this season tied the series at 10-10. BYU swept the season series in 2004 and split the series in 2005, with each team winning on the road. The series has been tied seven times over the last three years, and the two teams split the regular season series with home wins each of the prior three years. The Cougars won the first two meetings in the series in 1981 before the Rebels ran off four straight victories. Prior to 2004, the last time the Cougars swept the regular season series was in 1999-2000. The Rebels came back that year to achieve their largest margin of victory over BYU (23 points) in the title game of the 2000 MWC Tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center. BYU is 6-3 in Provo against UNLV and 4-7 in Las Vegas against the Rebels. BYU has won eight of the 14 games as MWC opponents.

BYU SERIES RECORD VS. UNLV

Overall Series Record: Series is tied 10-10

BYU Record in Provo: 6-3

BYU Record in Las Vegas: 4-7

BYU Record at Neutral Sites: 0-0

BYU Record under Dave Rose: 1-0

BYU Record in Overtime Games: 2-0

Last OT Game: 2005, won in Las Vegas, 82-72

Longest BYU Win Streak: 3 (2004-2005)

Longest UNLV Win Streak: 4 (1981-98)

Largest BYU Margin of Victory: 28, 91-63 in 2001

Largest UNLV Margin of Victory: 23, 79-56 in 2000

Most Points Scored by BYU: 92 in 1981

Most Points Scored by UNLV: 90 in 1981

QUOTING BYU HEAD COACH DAVE ROSE ...

"We have to get ready to play a UNLV team that's ahead of us in the standings. UNLV is a very good defensive team. Their pressure caused us problems in Las Vegas. We will need to execute offensively."

RECENT SERIES OUTINGS

THIS YEAR IN LAS VEGAS -- Cougars Fall At UNLV

LAS -- The Cougars could not mount the second-half comeback they needed Wednesday night at UNLV, losing 82-72. Both teams came out slow to start the game as each squad made just one shot in the first 4:48 of the first half. UNLV scored first on the opening possession 21 seconds into the game while BYU did not make its first basket until the 17:22 mark when Fernando Malaman found the hoop. The Cougars put together a 7-2 spurt of their own from there as Rashaun Broadus hit a big three-pointer and Derek Dawes and Brock Reichner both contributed on the offensive end of the court. BYU had difficulty finding an effective combination in the first half as Coach Rose used 10 of his 11 available players in the first eight minutes of the game. The two teams battled it out throughout the next several minutes until a long ball from Austin Ainge gave BYU its first lead of the game, 14-12, at the 9:42 mark. The Cougars continued fighting off the Rebels until, trailing 22-21, UNLV put together a 10-0 run, holding BYU scoreless for 3:53 until two free throws by Derek Dawes ended the drought. The remainder of the half was more of the same as the Rebels took a 37-30 lead into the locker room at halftime. BYU was able to keep the Rebel lead at seven points in the opening minutes of the second half until a 10-0 UNLV run left the Cougars reeling. Rashaun Broadus hit a three-pointer to end the drought, and BYU got a stop on the defensive end to put the ball in Jimmy Balderson's hands on the Cougar side of the floor. Balderson drove into the lane and thought he drew a charge, but no call was made, prompting a protest from Coach Rose that resulted in a technical foul, the first of Rose's head-coaching career. UNLV hit both free throws and a three-pointer on the ensuing offensive possession to take its largest lead of the game at 56-28. But the Cougars caught fire from three, hitting back-to-back-to-back three-pointers to cut the lead to nine points. After four straight points from the Rebels, BYU scored five of its own on a three-point play by Balderson and a jumper from Fernando Malaman to cut the lead to eight points at 60-52. The two teams battled it out for the next several minutes until another UNLV run, 10-1, pushed the lead to 74-57 and dashed any hopes of a BYU comeback, leaving the Cougars with the 82-72 loss. Only two Cougars managed to score in double digits as Fernando Malaman recorded 13 points and Brock Reichner added 10. Lee Cummard tied his career-high with nine points while Rashaun Broadus also contributed nine. Malaman was also BYU's high rebounder, pulling down a career-high seven boards. The Cougars shot 43 percent (23-for-54) from the field, 38 percent from three-point range (8-for-21) and 78 percent (18-for-23) from the free throw line while tying UNLV with 34 rebounds.

WHAT WAS SAID AFTER THE GAME ...

BYU Head Coach Dave Rose:

-- "I think that looking at the stats explains the problem. We had 18 turnovers and 11 assists. When we play well, that number is flipped around. We turned ball over way too much tonight. When you turn the ball over that many times, you have to shoot 60 or 70 percent to stay in the game. We didn't."

-- "We didn't win the hustle plays and the rebounding plays when we had to. Those are things we do well when we win. We had a hard time coming up with loose balls and getting big rebounds. The rebounding numbers don't tell the story. We got into a position three or four times to cut the lead and came up with the stops but couldn't get the rebounds."

-- "Any coach is concerned anytime their team gets beat anywhere. It's important for us to stay positive and believe that we're a good team. That's been our focus from day one. We have a lot of confidence in certain things. Right now, securing the road win in conference play is something we have to figure out how to do."

-- "This is a setback for us, but we're halfway through the season, and everything we want to do as a basketball team is still right in front of us. We're going to get back home, work harder, get better and see what we can do the next time out."

UNLV Head Coach Lon Kruger

-- "It's one game. If we do it for eight, it might be maturity. But it's a really good win."

-- "Lou (Amundson) had such a good run, and we hadn't given him a break, but we needed him back on the floor. He helped get us going again."

GAME NOTES FROM FIRST OUTING THIS SEASON AT UNLV

-- Individual Career Highs: Rashaun Broadus - 3 three-point field goals made (tied); Jackson Emery - 2 steals.

-- Including the loss at UNLV, the Cougars have now suffered defeat in their last six conference road games dating back to last season. BYU's last MWC road win was Feb. 5, 2005 at UNLV.

-- With the loss at UNLV, the Cougars are now 1-5 this season when trailing at the half. BYU has been down an average of 11.3 points in those games while leading by an average of 11.8 points in the eight games in which the Cougars' have owned the halftime advantage.

-- The Cougars were outscored in the second half (42-45) for just the second time this season at UNLV (42-41 vs. Loyola Marymount). The Cougars average 6.0 more second-half points than their opponents.

-- Derek Dawes has contributed significantly from the free throw line in the last two games as he went 7-for-8 at UNLV and 5-for-6 against Utah.

-- With the 82-72 loss at UNLV, the Cougars are now 2-5 when allowing opponents to score 70+ points.

-- After committing a total of seven turnovers against Utah last Saturday, the Cougars' lowest mark since March 1, 2004, BYU racked up seven miscues in the first 7:35 of the game at UNLV. The Cougars finished with 18 turnovers.

-- Trent Plaisted, BYU's leading scorer, has struggled in the Cougars' two league road games this season as he recorded three points, four rebounds and three turnovers at UNLV and scored five points with no rebounds and three turnovers at Air Force.

-- BYU Coach Dave Rose received the first technical foul of his head-coaching career with 16:02 left to play in the game.

-- BYU Coach Dave Rose used 10 different players in the first eight minutes of the game as he attempted to find the most effective combination. Only Jackson Emery did not see action during that stretch.

-- Both teams came out slow to start the game as each squad made just one shot in the first 4:48 of the first half. UNLV scored first on the opening possession just 21 seconds into the game while BYU did not make its first basket until the 17:22 mark. Neither team scored again from the field until the 16:12 mark.

-- Austin Ainge gave the Cougars their first lead of the game at the 9:42 mark with a three-pointer to give BYU a 14-12 advantage.

- Trailing 22-21, the Rebels put together a 10-0 run, holding BYU scoreless for 3:53 until two free throws by Derek Dawes ended the drought.

- The Rebels went on another 10-0 run in the second half to take a 52-35 lead, but BYU bounced back with three consecutive three-point makes two minutes later to cut a once-18-point lead to nine at 47-56.

LAST YEAR IN LAS VEGAS -- BALDERSON SCORES BIG IN COUGAR VICTORY

LAS -- Jimmy Balderson ignited the Cougars Saturday, scoring a career-high 23 points to overcome a tough UNLV team in overtime, 82-72, in the Thomas & Mack Center. BYU point guard Austin Ainge led the way in overtime, adding 12 of his 19 points and dishing out five assists. The Cougars battled hard against the Rebels, holding on to a small lead for nearly 14 minutes of the first half. The Cougars were carried by sophomore guard Balderson, who hit three three-pointers and finished the half with 11 points. Late in the half, UNLV's Odartey Blankson scored on a lay-up to give the Rebels a one-point advantage, which they extended to a 33-27 halftime lead. In the second half, the Cougars capitalized on a Mike Hall three-pointer and two more long-bombs from Balderson to regain the lead, 39-37. The Rebels would quickly regain their lead by sensational play from senior forward Blankson, who finished with a career-high 33 points and 13 rebounds. In the last two minutes of play, the Cougars went on a 6-0 run to only trail by one, 60-61 with 18.9 seconds on the clock. With less than 10 seconds to go, BYU center Derek Dawes missed a jump-hook, but Balderson came up with the rebound and was fouled on a three-point shot. Balderson made all three free throws to give BYU a 63-61 lead with 5.6 seconds left. However, UNLV's Jerel Blassingame drove to the basket and connected on a lay-up to send the game into overtime. BYU jumped on the Rebels to start the extra period, led by sophomore Ainge, who helped lift the Cougars to an eight-point lead. The Rebels never recovered from the Cougars' dominating play and 83.3 percent shooting in O.T., falling even with BYU at 2-5 in league play. Hall added 16 points for BYU, while Keena Young scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds. BYU finished the game shooting 40.7 percent.

LAST YEAR IN PROVO -- REBEL RUN RUINS COUGARS' VICTORY HOPES

PROVO -- In the final game of the regular season, UNLV went on an 18-0 run in the second half to put the Cougars away, 76-66, Saturday night at the Marriott Center. The Cougars ended the regular season 9-20 overall and 3-11 in the Mountain West Conference. The Rebels finished with a 15-12 overall record and a 7-7 MWC mark. Cougar seniors Mike Hall, Jared Jensen and Terry Nashif, who were honored at the beginning of the game, made a strong effort to lift the team in their last home game. Hall and Jensen led the Cougars with 22 and 12 points, respectively. They also received a standing ovation from the crowd as they left the game with 42 seconds left. Hall racked up 16 of his 22 points in the first half, three more points than his season average. He also tied his career high for three pointers made, shooting 5-of-9 from long range. Although BYU led 37-33 at halftime and began with an early lead in the second half, a seven-minute scoring drought for the Cougars gave UNLV its first lead since 10 minutes into the game. After free throws from Jensen gave BYU a six-point lead at 49-43 at the 13-minute mark, the Cougars did not score again until Hall sunk a free throw and Ainge hit a jumper with six minutes left. UNLV's Andy Hannan sparked the Rebels' run with four-straight points to tie the game at 49. Odartey Blankson buried a three to give UNLV the lead at 52-49. From that point on, the Rebels extended their lead to 12 points and did not look back. Hall and Ainge continued to chip away at the UNLV lead, but BYU was unable to make up the difference. In the first half, three-pointers helped BYU overcome a slow start as they connected on a first-half season-high 9-of-15 shots behind the arc. The Cougars shot 45 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes, compared to 28 percent in the second half. BYU grabbed its first lead of the game at 19-18 with a three-pointer from Mike Rose. Nashif then added his three points of the game, pushing the lead to 24-20. After two free throws from a BYU technical foul, a three-pointer by Romel Beck gave the Rebels the lead at 30-24 with less than six minutes left in the half. But Mike Hall scored 10 straight points to the end of the first half, including two three-pointers to give the Cougars a 37-33 lead. Hall led all scorers with 16 points at the break.

BYU NOTES

BYU's LAST OUTING -- Rivalry Game Goes to the Utes

SALT LAKE -- Utah's mastery over BYU in the Huntsman Center continued Wednesday night as the Cougars fell 79-60 to the Utes, snapping their four-game winning streak. BYU has not won in the Huntsman Center since 1994. Brock Reichner, BYU's leading scorer on the road, once again came up big for the Cougars in scoring a game-high 21 points on six three-pointers and three free throws. Trent Plaisted recorded his third double-double of the year with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, and Keena Young notched 14 points on the night. Only two other Cougars scored as Rashaun Broadus logged eight points and Jimmy Balderson added five. Broadus also took home game-high assist honors with four but BYU shot just 30.0 percent (18-for-60) from the field, its lowest mark of the season. Neither team scored from the field for the first two minutes of the game as fouls and turnovers plagued both sides. Utah's Bryant Markson recorded the first point of the game on a free throw at the 17:59 mark, but Reichner followed that up with a three-pointer on the other end. From there, the nets heated up with each team scoring on the next four possessions, including another make from long range for BYU's walk-on senior. Plaisted recorded his 25th dunk of the year on the Cougars' next trip down the floor despite being fouled on the way up to give BYU an 11-5 lead after the free-throw make. Utah's Markson tried the same thing on the fastbreak after intercepting a BYU pass but missed the wide-open dunk. However, instead of capitalizing on their 11-5 lead, the Cougars went cold, allowing Utah to put together a 34-13 run to end the half. BYU shot just 32.1 percent from the field in the opening period of play, their second lowest mark of the season, while the Utes shot 51.9 percent to take a 39-24 lead into the locker room. Reichner once again came up big for the Cougars to start the second half, scoring BYU's first nine points of the half on three three-pointers to keep the lead at 15 points with 15 minutes to play. However, Utah drained a three-pointer to tie its largest lead of the game at 51-33 with 14:14 left in the game. But the Cougars toughness prevailed over the next several minutes as BYU put together a 13-4 run to cut the lead to nine points at 55-46 with 6:26 left to play, holding the Utes scoreless from the field for 8:06. Plaisted put the exclamation point on the run with his 26th dunk of the year at the 6:26 mark. However, then it was BYU's turn to go cold from the field as the Cougars could not convert from the floor for 3:10. BYU went 7-for-10 from the free-throw line during that stretch to keep the Utes close at 66-55. But with 2:43 remaining, Utah turned up the heat, outscoring the Cougars 13-5 to end the game and secure the 79-60 win.

WHAT WAS SAID AFTER THE GAME ...

BYU Head Coach Dave Rose

-- "We saw a different Utah team tonight from what we saw at our place. It's really tough here. It takes a really good game on the part of the visitors to win here. We wanted to come here and play well, but we didn't."

-- "During that early Utah run, we weren't patient enough. We took some quick shots."

-- "Give our guys credit. They fought to the end. We made some steals and cut the lead but it just wasn't meant to be tonight."

-- "I talked to the team after the game about tomorrow. We have to get ready to play a UNLV team that's ahead of us in the standings. UNLV is a very good defensive team. Their pressure caused us problems in Las Vegas. We will need to execute offensively."

Utah Head Coach Ray Giacoletti

-- "Our defense was pretty solid. Everybody seemed to do a good job with their assignment. It was a pretty good battle, the two big kids. I'm just happy for these kids because they've continued to battle and fight. It is a good BYU team, they're playing well and they've got a lot of different weapons."

BYU NOTES FROM LAST OUTING

-- Individual Career Highs: Brock Reichner -- 6 three-point field goals made (tied), 8 three-point field goals attempted (tied), .750 three-point field goal percentage (tied), 1 block (tied); Keena Young -- 8 free throws made, 8 free throws attempted (tied), 1.000 free throw percentage (tied), 2 steals (tied).

-- Team Season Highs/Lows: Fewest assists -- 9 (tied), Lowest field goal percentage -- 30.0.

-- Utah's homecourt win over BYU marks the 12th straight time the Cougars have lost in the Huntsman Center, dating back to Jan. 8, 1994.

-- The Cougars' loss snaps a four-game winning streak, BYU's longest since 2004.

-- BYU's 39-24 halftime deficit marked the seventh time the Cougars have trailed at the break in Mountain West Conference play this season.

-- The Cougars' 32.1 percent (9-for-28) shooting performance in the first half was their second-lowest mark of the season (28.1 vs. TCU). BYU's 24 first-half points were also tied for the second-lowest output in a half for the Cougars this year (24 at San Diego State, 23 at Air Force).

-- Trent Plaisted recorded his 25th dunk of the year just 4:11 into the game despite being fouled on the way up. He added his 26th with 6:26 left in the game to cap a 13-4 BYU run that saw an 18-point Utah lead cut to just nine points.

-- Plaisted also recorded his third double-double of the year with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

-- Brock Reichner, BYU's leading scorer on the road, averaging 15.0 points, once again came up big for the Cougars in hostile territory, leading BYU with 21 points.

-- After making his last 19 straight free throws, the longest streak on the team, Brock Reichner missed his first against the Utes. Reichner had not missed a free throw since Jan. 18 against Wyoming.

-- After missing the last two games, Derek Dawes saw five minutes of action against the Utes, finishing with three rebounds

-- Leading 11-5 with 15:49 left to play, BYU allowed Utah to go on a 34-13 run to end the half. After the Utes tied the game at 15-15, the Cougars shot just 3-of-17 from the field for the rest of the period while Utah was 9-of-14. Keena Young was the only Cougar to find the hoop for over ten minutes of the half until Rashaun Broadus converted a three-point play with 1:43 left in the period

-- Trailing 51-33, BYU fought its way back into the game with a 13-4 run to cut the lead to nine points with 6:26 left to play, holding the Utes scoreless from the field for 8:06.

-- The Cougars went cold from the 6:26 mark, failing to score from the field for 3:10. However, BYU was 7-of-10 from the line during that stretch.

BYU AT THE POINT

BYU's Rashaun Broadus (4.1 apg) and Austin Ainge (2.67 apg) rank second and 13th, respectively, among Mountain West Conference players in assists per game this season while helping the Cougars lead the MWC in team assists at 16.6 apg. Broadus and Ainge have combined for 96 assists compared to 47 turnovers in BYU's 14 wins while totaling 42 assists and 29 turnovers in the Cougars' seven defeats. Broadus has 57 assists and 30 turnovers in the wins with 25 assists and 20 turnovers in the losses. Ainge boasts 39 assists to only 17 turnovers in the victories while totaling 17 assists and 9 turnovers in defeats. With his overall 82 assists to 50 turnovers, Broadus ranks second in the league in assist/turnover ratio (1.64). Ainge tied his career high with 8 assists in BYU's third game of the season against Couthern Utah. Broadus recorded a career-best 9 assists against Lamar and then tied that mark while Ainge added 4 to fuel BYU to a season-high 29 assists vs. Eastern Washington. In conference play, Ainge has 16 assists and 15 turnovers while Broadus has 26 assists and 22 turnovers. Broadus totaled a team-high 6 assists with no turnovers in BYU's game at New Mexico. As a team, BYU has made an assist on 62.0 percent of its field goals this season.

BYU IN THE POST

Trent Plaisted (13.4) leads BYU in scoring while fellow post players Keena Young (8.7) and Fernando Malaman (7.6) are fifth and sixth, respectively. Plaisted (13.2) and Young (10.4) rank first and third, respectively, in league games. Overall, Malaman, Young and Plaisted rank third, fourth and tied for fifth, respectively, in the league in field goal percentage. Malaman is shooting a team-best .545 (66-of-121) followed by Young at .540 (68-of-126) and Plaisted at .534 (103-of-193). Derek Dawes is making .415 (17-of-41). Malaman is also second on the team with a 48.4 percent success rate (15-of-31) from behind the three-point arc.

BYU ON THE WING

Senior Brock Reichner has started the last 20 games at 2-guard and is second on the team in scoring at 11.1 ppg, including a team-high 42 threes on a team-leading 49.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Junior Jimmy Balderson started the first nine games at small forward and is third in scoring at 9.0 ppg with 16 treys. BYU's two freshman wings are playing significant roles. Lee Cummard has started in place of Balderson the last 12 games and is averaging 5.2 points in 15.5 minutes while shooting 44.2 percent from the floor. Jackson Emery is shooting 40.4 percent from the floor and has made nine triples while averaging 2.5 points in 8.3 minutes. He has also been a solid defender for the Cougars, often helping guard the opponent's top perimeter player. Junior Mike Rose plays 9.9 minutes in the rotation on the wing, averaging 3.6 points, including 18 treys.

COUGAR OFFENSE

BYU's 75.7 points per game are coming in a variety of ways as the Cougars outscore their opponents in every statistical category on the season. BYU has scored 47 more points in the paint this season, outpacing its opponents underneath in nine games, tying in three and being outscored in nine. The Cougars have also capitalized on opponent miscues in their 21 games to date, scoring 24 more points off of turnovers while outscoring foes in that category in 10 games, tying in one and being outscored in 10. BYU enjoys a 47-point advantage in second-chance points, partly due to the Cougars' +1.6 rebounding margin, as BYU has outscored opponents in that category in 12 games. The Cougars' largest advantage, however, comes on the fastbreak as BYU has only been outscored on the break in five games this year, with a 203-129 margin.

BOUNCE BACK COUGARS

With its 14-7 overall record, BYU has yet to suffer consecutive defeats this season, having bounced back from each loss with victory, a streak the Cougars will look to continue Saturday against UNLV. BYU had alternated wins and losses since beginning league play before winning four straight games, two of which came on the road, prior to a loss at Utah on Wednesday. The Cougars have achieved four winning streaks this year -- one four-game streak, two three-game streaks and one two-game streak.

MAGIC NUMBER: 70

BYU is 9-0 this season when holding opponents under 70 points and 5-7 when allowing opponents to surpass the 70-point threshold. Cougar foes are currently averaging 70.9 points per game. BYU is also 11-3 when scoring 70 or more points and 3-4 when falling below the 70-point mark. The Cougars are tied for first in the league in scoring, averaging 75.7 ppg.

FOR STARTERS

Overall this year, eight players have started while Coach Dave Rose has used six starting lineups. Junior Rashaun Broadus has started the last four games after not starting the three previous games. Junior Keena Young made his sixth start of the season at Utah. Trent Plaisted has started each game while Brock Reichner has started every game but the first. Rashaun Broadus has started 18 games, Fenando Malaman 15 games, Lee Cummard 12 games, Jimmy Balderson nine games and Austin Ainge four games. The majority of BYU's starting lineups have featured two freshmen (Plaisted and Cummard), two junior transfers (Broadus and Malaman) and one senior (Reichner). Reichner is the only one of the five to have started a Division I game prior to this season. He made two starts late last year in his first season at BYU. Five Cougars who started between seven and 23 games on last year's team (Ainge, 23 starts; Balderson, 16 starts; Young, 15 starts, Derek Dawes, 13 starts; Mike Rose, 7 starts) have primarily been coming off the bench this season. Coach Rose has used the same starting lineup in the last four games with Broadus, Reichner, Cummard, Young and Plaisted, earning a 3-1 record.

MAKING NOISE

Brock Reichner and Jimmy Balderson have stepped up their scoring in the last four games. The pair rank second and third, respectively, in scoring for the Cougars. Over the last four games, Reichner is averaging 15.8 points per game while Balderson is scoring 15.0 ppg. Balderson led BYU with a career-high 24 points against Colorado State while Reichner added 23. At New Mexico, Balderson scored 14 points and Reichner recorded 11. The two combined for 22 of BYU's 65 points against Air Force. At Utah, Reichner and Balderson were two of only five players to score as Reichner contributed a game-high 21 points and Balderson scored five.

FROM THE LINE

The Cougars have made significant progress from the free-throw line in conference play, shooting .791 from the stripe in MWC play, which ranks first in the league, and .724 overall, which is second. BYU has shot 80 percent or above from the line in five of its 10 league games while reaching that mark just twice in the Cougars' 11 nonconference contests. BYU has a chance to become the first MWC team in league history to shoot 80 percent or better in conference play.

BYU APPROACHES 500TH GAME

The Cougars will play their 500th game in the Marriott Center on Feb. 22 against the San Diego State Aztecs. BYU has called the Marriott Center home since 1971, compiling a 382-116 (.767) record in 35 seasons. Over eight million fans have cheered the Cougars to victory during that time in the nation's third-largest on-campus arena. BYU is currently tied for 17th in the nation after winning its last 10 home games.

SCORING FOR THE COUGARS

BYU is averaging 75.7 ppg, tied for first in the MWC, led by redshirt freshman Trent Plaisted's 13.4 points per game. Six different Cougars have led the team in scoring in BYU's first 21 games. Plaisted has led BYU eight times (20 at USC, 13 vs. Southern Utah, 19 vs. Boise State, 15 vs. Weber State, 16 vs. Tulsa, 17 vs. Wyoming, 22 vs. TCU and 21 vs. Air Force), and junior Keena Young has led the team four times (12 vs. Northern Kentucky, 15 vs. Eastern Washington, 16 at Air Force and 16 at San Diego State) while junior Jimmy Balderson has led the team three times (18 vs. Loyola Marymount, 21 vs. Lamar and 24 at Colorado State), senior Brock Reichner has led the team three times (18 at Washington State, 26 at Utah State and 21 at Utah), junior Rashaun Broadus has led the team twice (17 vs. Utah and 15 at UNM) and Fernando Malaman (13 at UNLV) has led the Cougars once. Eleven different Cougars have had a double-digit scoring outing for BYU this year (all except Jermaine Odjegba, high of 2).

HALFTIME REPORT

BYU is 9-0 when leading at the half, 4-7 when trailing and 1-0 when tied. In the nine games in which they have led at the half, the Cougars' average halftime lead is 10.7 points, and they have led by double digits six times. BYU has been more impressive in the second half this season. The Cougars have outscored their opponents in the second period of play in all but five games this year (42-41 vs. Loyola Marymount, 45-42 at UNLV, 46-37 at San Diego State, 43-43 at Colorado State, 40-36 at Utah). BYU averages 6.0 more second-half points than its opponents.

BROADUS SHARES MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

COLORADO SPRINGS -- BYU guard Rashaun Broadus and San Diego State guard Brandon Heath were named Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Co-Players of the Week. This is the first weekly honor of the season and career for Broadus. A 6-0 guard from Mililani, Hawai'i, Broadus helped the Cougars to a 2-0 conference record last week with wins at New Mexico (77-71) and at home vs. Air Force (65-59). He scored a game-high 15 points (13 in the second half) and dished out a game-best six assists (zero turnovers) vs. the Lobos. He also added three rebounds in his 33 minutes on the floor as the Cougars ended UNM's 21-game home winning streak, which was the fourth longest in the country. Against Air Force, Broadus scored 13 points, grabbed three rebounds, and added two assists and two steals. He once again came up big in the second half for BYU, scoring 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting from the field, including 2-of-3 from behind the arc. On the week, Broadus nearly doubled his scoring average (14.0 points per game), while also averaging 4.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game. He shot 50.0 percent from the field (10-for-20) and 41.7 percent from three-point range (5-for-12), while tallying an assist-to-turnover ration of 4.0 (eight assists, two turnovers). Broadus' honor marks the second straight MWC Player of the Week award for the Cougars following Trent Plaisted's recognition last week.

PLAISTED NAMED MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

COLORADO SPRINGS -- BYU forward/center Trent Plaisted was named Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week ending Jan. 30. This is the first weekly honor of the season and career for Plaisted. A 6-11 freshman from San Antonio, Texas, Plaisted led the Cougars to conference wins over TCU (89-80 OT) and Colorado State (86-84) last week, establishing career highs in eight different categories in the process. Against TCU, he recorded his second career double-double, scoring a career-high 22 points and pulling down a career-best 16 rebounds. Plaisted, who entered the game shooting 66.7 percent from the free throw line, knocked down all eight of his shots from the stripe while also tying a personal-best in blocked shots (two). Against Colorado State, he scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds, setting career highs in assists and steals (three each) along the way. For the week, Plaisted averaged 18.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game, while shooting 51.9 percent (14-for-27) from the field and 90.0 percent (9-for-10) from the free-throw stripe. He leads BYU in scoring (13.1 points per game) and rebounding (5.6 rebounds per game) this season, ranking 10th in the conference in both categories.

INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS THRIVE AT BYU

- A total of 25 international players have played basketball at BYU.

- The Cougars have had an international player on their varsity roster in 34 of the past 54 years.

- In the last five years, BYU has rostered five international players, including three on this season's team -- Jimmy Balderson (Canada), Fernando Malaman (Brazil) and Vuk Ivanovic (Serbia & Montenegro).

- Brazilian Luiz de Toledo has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for BYU next season.

- Foreign players at BYU have received eight all-conference citations, two conference player of the year awards (Timo Saarelainen -- 1985, Rafael Araujo -- 2004) and eight All-America citations (Kresimir Cosic -- 1972 and 1973, Rafael Araujo -- 2004).

- According to a book about basketball in Finland by Mikko Simon, BYU has the distinction of being the first NCAA Division I school to have an overseas player on its roster when Timo Lampen, a native of Lahti, Finland, took the court for the Cougars in 1961.

- BYU also boasts the first foreign All-American in Kresimir Cosic, who will have his BYU jersey retired on March 4. The Zadar, Yugoslavia, native played on the Cougar varsity team from 1971-73 and earned six All-America citations and three first-team All-Western Athletic Conference awards. He is the only BYU player to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Cosic passed away in 1995.

- During the 2005 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, CBS Television analyst Billy Packer singled out Cosic during a discussion of the quality of international players now playing college basketball. Said Packer, "Kresimir Cosic, who played for BYU, was really the first great international player to play basketball in the United States."

BYU TO RETIRE COSIC JERSEY

In an historic event, BYU will retire the uniform of the late Kresimir Cosic on March 4, 2006, during the final regular season home game against New Mexico. The former Cougar great becomes the second BYU men's basketball player to have his jersey retired, joining Danny Ainge. "Cosic was a great ambassador for both BYU and the game of basketball," said BYU Director of Athletics Tom Holmoe. "His accomplishments on and off the basketball court have impacted the lives of many worldwide. This honor is a well-deserved tribute to a great man." During his career at BYU, Cosic used his versatile inside-outside game to lead the Cougars in scoring (23.3 points per game) and rebounding (12.8 rebounds per game) as a junior and again as a senior (20.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg). His unselfish attitude also helped him to lead his team in assists. He ranks second on BYU's all-time rebounding list with 919, an average of 11.6 per game, and fourth all-time with a 19.1 career scoring average while recording a BYU-record 47 double-doubles. Behind the play of Cosic, the Cougars won two WAC titles and reached the NCAA Regional Tournament in 1971 and 1972. Cosic was a three-time first-team All-WAC selection and earned All-American accolades following his junior season. He likely would have been a four-year award winner but freshmen were not allowed to play on varsity. Upon graduation, Cosic became very involved with basketball throughout Europe. He played on four Olympic teams with his native land of Yugoslavia, winning a gold medal in 1980 and two silver medals in 1968 and 1976. He ended his career as the all-time Croatian scoring leader and went on to coach the Yugoslavian National Team for many years. In September of 1992, Cosic was appointed as the Croatian Deputy Ambassador to the United States. He and his family lived in Washington D.C where he performed his diplomatic duties in the same excellent manner in which he played basketball.

BYU REDSHIRTS: SAM BURGESS, VUK IVANOVIC

Junior guard Sam Burgess is redshirting this season. The 6-foot-3 guard from Alpine, Utah, is one of nine juniors on the roster this year. Fellow junior Vuk Ivanovic will also redshirt while he sits out the season due to NCAA transfer rules.

TRANSFERRED: DAVID BURGESS

David Burgess, a 6-foot-10 redshirt freshman center, announced on Dec. 15 that he was transferring from BYU to complete his eligibility. BYU granted his request for a release. Burgess appeared in three of seven games this year, averaging 0.7 points and 1.7 rebounds. Said Burgess, "I thoroughly enjoyed my time at BYU and I think Coach Rose is an unbelievable coach but his system just isn't a good fit for me personally. When I signed, Coach Cleveland's system was a half-court offense, which fits me better as a player. I was excited for Coach Rose to be named the coach and I worked hard to lose some weight and try to prepare myself for his system but it's just not the best fit for me." Burgess has since announced he will transfer to Gonzaga.

BYU BASKETBALL ON KSL NEWSRADIO

(102.7 FM and 1160 AM)

The "Voice of the Cougars" is KSL Newsradio 1160's Greg Wrubell. He is in his 10th season as the play-by-play voice of BYU basketball. Wrubell, also the voice of BYU football, is joined by former Cougar lettermen Mark Durrant and Russell Larson (for select broadcasts) as color analysts. Durrant has been part of the KSL broadcast team for nine years while Larson is in his first season as an analyst. In addition to live coverage of every Cougar game, the following programs can be heard each week on KSL Newsradio.

COACH ROSE ON KSL NEWSRADIO ...

Coach's Corner with Dave Rose

Mondays at 8:45 a.m.

The Dave Rose Show

Mondays from 7-8 p.m.

THE DAVE ROSE SHOW ON KSL-TV

BYU coach Dave Rose's weekly television show airs on Sunday evenings at 11 p.m. on KSL-TV, channel 5 in Salt Lake City. The show will resume airing at the conclusion of the 2006 Winter Olympics.