Game 24 - Second Half of MWC Action Begins with UNLV

Cougars Begin Second Half of MWC Play with UNLV

No. 8/9 BYU basketball begins the second half of the conference season on Saturday, Feb. 5, against UNLV in the Marriott Center at 2 p.m. MT. The Cougars are 21-2 overall and 7-1 in MWC action and are coming off a 69-62 win at Wyoming. Jimmer Fredette scored 26 points and Brandon Davies contributed 20 points, nine boards and two blocks in the victory. Fredette leads the nation in scoring at 27.6 points per game and is shooting .418 from three. Jackson Emery adds 12.3 points per game and Brandon Davies is third on the team in scoring at 12.0 points per game. UNLV is 17-5 overall and 5-3 in the MWC. The Rebels have won three-straight games including a 67-54 home win against Utah. UNLV’s other MWC victories have come against TCU and New Mexico at home and at Air Force and Wyoming. Chace Stanback leads the team in scoring and rebounding at 13.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Saturday’s game can be heard live on KSL Newsradio beginning with the pregame show at 1 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 VERSUS.

Up Next

No. 8/9 BYU will play at Air Force on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 8 p.m. MT in Clune Arena. 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 7 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. 8/9 BYU head coach Dave Rose is 148-42 in his six seasons at BYU and is the program’s all-time leader in winning percentage at .779. He is third in wins and four from tying Roger Reid for second all-time.

— In MWC action, Jimmer Fredette is averaging 34.0 points, 4.4 threes and 3.8 assists while shooting .472 from the field, .486 from three and .885 from the free throw line.

— Jimmer Fredette was named to eight preseason All-America teams and is a Wooden Award and Cousy Award midseason candidate and a preseason candidate for the Naismith Trophy. Fredette leads the nation in scoring at 27.6 points per game and adds 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

— Senior guard Jackson Emery is second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game and adds 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and a team-best 2.7 steals per game. He has posted four-plus steals seven times this season and is the program’s all-time leader in career steals. Brandon Davies is third on the team in scoring at 12.0 points per game on .540 shooting. He has scored in double figures 17 times this season, including the last eight games and 14 of the last 15 games.

— At 21-2, BYU has tied the best 23-game record in program history with last season’s squad and the 1987-88 team.

BYU GAME #24 FAST FACTS

No. 8/9 BYU (21-2, 7-1) vs. UNLV (17-5, 5-3)

Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011

Marriott Center

Provo, Utah

2 p.m. MT

Coaches

BYU, Dave Rose (148-42 in sixth season at BYU; same overall)

UNLV, Lon Kruger (154-67 in seventh season at UNLV; 472-300 in 25th season overall)

Series

UNLV leads 18-15, including an 89-77 BYU victory in January in Las Vegas

Radio

KSL Newsradio (102.7 FM/1160 AM) and the Cougar Sports Network (Greg Wrubell, play-by-play; Mark Durrant, game analysis)

TV

VERSUS (Tim Neverett, play-by-play; Blaine Fowler, 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 UNLV

2010-11 Record: 17-5, 5-3

Conference: Mountain West

2009-10 Record: 25-9, 11-5 (T3rd)

2010 Postseason: NCAA first round

Highlights:

- UNLV is 17-5 overall and 5-3 in Mountain West Conference play. The Rebels are 9-3 at home, 5-2 on the road and 3-0 in neutral games. The Rebels opened MWC play with a loss to BYU and then defeated TCU on the road. Following loss at San Diego State, UNLV has since won four of its last five and is riding a three-game win streak, including wins against New Mexico, at Wyoming and at home against Utah.

- Chace Stanback leads UNLV with 13 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game. He shoots .489 from the field, .349 from three and .780 from the free throw line. Tre’Von Willis averages 11.8 points and 1.5 steals and shoots .411 from the field and Oscar Bellfield averages 10.9 points and a team-best 3.8 assists per game.

- UNLV averages 72.0 points and shoots .466 from the field and .301 from three. Rebel opponents average 61.1 points and shoot .391 from the field against UNLV.

Coach: Lon Kruger (7th season at UNLV)

UNLV’s Last Outing — UNLV Tops utah, 67-54

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Quintrell Thomas had season highs with 15 points and 16 rebounds as UNLV defeated cold-shooting Utah 67-54 on Wednesday night.

Thomas, a redshirt freshman, had 13 first-half points. He went 5 of 5 from the free-throw line and had two blocks.

Carlos Lopez had a 14 points and nine rebounds and Chace Stanback added 11 points, six rebounds and three blocks for UNLV (17-5, 5-3 Mountain West), which won its third straight.

The Utes, who shot 30 percent (17 of 57) from the field and 14 of 25 (56 percent) from the free-throw line, scored a season low in points and dropped their second straight.

Will Clyburn led Utah (10-12, 3-5) with 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Josh Watkins had 15 points.

Series Notes

UNLV leads the all-time series against BYU 18-15. The Cougars are 5-9 against the Rebels under Dave Rose, including an 89-77 win at UNLV on Jan. 11, 2011.