BYU basketball: Previewing the Pacific Tigers

BYU basketball is looking to create another winning streak, and can do just that with a road victory over the Pacific Tigers.

BYU basketball defeated the San Francisco Dons on Thursday night, improving to 13-3 on the season and partially eliminating the sour taste that remained from their loss to Saint Mary’s last Saturday.

Next up for the Cougar Cagers is a road meeting with the Pacific Tigers on Saturday. A win will give BYU basketball a modest two-game winning streak.

For the Tigers (6-10), they’ll be looking to get back on track after an 18-point loss to Saint Mary’s.

The Cougars lead the all-time series against the Tigers 9-5 and went 2-0 against them last season.

Players To Watch

Roberto Gallinat: A 6-foot-3 transfer guard from South Plains College, Gallinat currently leads the Tigers in scoring with 13.1 points per game. He’s shooting 41.6 percent from the field and 78.7 percent from the free-throw line. Gallinat isn’t a prolific 3-point threat (30 percent this season), but he has good size and is averaging nearly 30 minutes per night.

Jack Williams: Williams, a 6-foot-8 junior forward, is the Tigers’ second-leading rebounder (6.2 per game). He also adds 9.1 points per night. Shooting 42 percent from the field, Williams isn’t a game-changing scorer, but an effective one. He’s coming off a poor game against the Gaels (four points, five rebounds, 20 percent shooting).

Jahlil Tripp: Tripp might be the best athlete on the Tigers’ roster – and would be the best athlete on the court if not for Yoeli Childs. A 6-foot-5 guard/forward, Tripp is rangy as a defender and has a knack for pulling in rebounds. In fact, he leads the team in rebounding, grabbing 8.6 per game. He chips in 9.4 points per game and 4.5 assists per game. He does a little bit of everything for Pacific, and he does it all well.

BYU basketball and Pacific tip off at 8pm MT on Saturday, January 6.