BYU basketball: Cougars use late run to beat San Francisco

(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) /
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BYU basketball used a second-half surge to pick up a road win over the San Francisco Dons on Thursday night. The Cougars are now 13-3.

After a loss to Saint Mary’s last Saturday, BYU basketball had four days to prepare for San Francisco, with the hopes of getting back to their winning ways.

The Cougars did just that on Thursday night, using a 16-4 run in the final 8:30 to defeat the Dons 69-59.

Yoeli Childs scored 13 points for BYU basketball. It was his 14th-straight game in double figures. Elijah Bryant added a game-high 17 points and has now hit at least one 3-point shot in all 16 games this season.

The Cougar Cagers were able to get good looks against the Dons, finishing the game shooting 51 percent from the field. It marks the ninth time this season BYU has finished at 50+ percent. The team also led the Dons at the half, which was the 10th-straight game the Cougars took at lead into the locker room.

Next up for BYU basketball is another road matchup, this time against Pacific on Saturday. The Tigers are 6-10 on the season and are coming off a shellacking at the hands of the Gaels. The game will tip off at 8pm MT.

Three Things We Learned

1. Coming through at the charity stripe. The Cougars committed 15 turnovers against the Dons on Thursday night, which is a number large enough to tip the scales in favor of any opponent. But the Cougar Cagers were near-perfect from the free-throw line (18-of-25). Not only were they good, but they limited San Francisco’s opportunities (3-of-8), essentially cancelling out the turnovers.

2. Jahshire being patient. On the basketball court, there’s a difference between being patient and being hesitant. For Chipola College transfer Jahshire Hardnett, there were times against Saint Mary’s where he looked hesitant. On Thursday against the Dons, he looked patient, picking his spots and tying a career-high 11 points.

3. Let’s go streaking. BYU basketball now owns a 10-game win streak over San Francisco. The Cougars lead the all-time series 18-6.