BYU basketball: Cougars knock off Utah State in hostile environment

BYU basketball took to the road and defeated the Utah State Aggies 75-66. It was a big win for the Cougars in a hostile environment in Logan.

BYU basketball has won three straight games after defeating the Utah State Aggies 75-66. It was the second in-state away game for the Cougars in four days.

Logan, as always, was not a friendly environment for BYU basketball. The student section heckled TJ Haws about his hairline and Elijah Bryant when he fouled out. So while the Aggies aren’t some juggernaut on the court, it’s always impressive to win on the road in college hoops.

Not to mention, BYU basketball discovered it truly has a player in McKay Cannon.

Cannon showed some real flashes against Utah Valley earlier in the week, but it was tough to know if any of it was fool’s gold. After all, the Cougars were picking apart the Wolverines with ease.

But against Utah State, Cannon was even more impressive. He tied with Yoeli Childs as the Cougars’ leading scorer (17 points) and was a perfect 8-for-8 at the free throw line. Plus, he showed the same sort of grit and swagger he did against the Wolverines, staring down the USU student section as time expired.

The key for BYU basketball on Saturday night was the area that Cannon excelled at, too – free throws. BYU went 24-for-28 at the charity stripe (85.7 percent). The Aggies, meanwhile, went just 10-23 (43.5 percent). In a game that saw the Cougars score just 28 points in the first half, the free throw was an ever-important aide.

And again, BYU managed a win when the outside shots weren’t falling. The Cougars shot a paltry 28 percent from beyond the arc – so at this point it’s safe to assume that those wins aren’t flukes. The Cougars can win when they don’t score.

Next up for BYU basketball is a home contest against Illinois State.