BYU basketball: Cougars roll Santa Clara on Saturday night

BYU basketball had lost its last two Saturday games, but that trend didn’t continue tonight as the Cougars rolled the Santa Clara Broncos 84-50.

For BYU basketball on Saturday night, the rim seemed giant. If it were NBA 2K18, every player’s shot meter would’ve flashed green and the message at the top of the screen would’ve read “Perfect Release.”

The Cougar Cagers dominated the Santa Clara Broncos, picking up an 84-50 victory. BYU basketball is now 15-4, its best start since the 2011-12 season.

Yoeli Childs led the way for the Cougars, nearing posting a triple-double with 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Elijah Bryant and TJ Haws combined to score 28 points on 9-of-16 shooting.

One element that sparked the Cougars to a 2-0 week was a lineup shuffle. Head coach Dave Rose swapped Luke Worthington with Zac Seljaas this week in an attempt to jump start a stagnant offense.

By and large, the move worked. BYU basketball shot 52 percent from 3-point range this week and Seljaas scored a combined 19 points (8-of-11 shooting). Against Santa Clara, the Cougars scored 46 points in the first half – their most in a first half all season long.

Obviously Rose will likely tinker with the rotations depending on the team, but it seems like this lineup might be a great option.

Really, it was a dominating performance from a Cougar team that desperately needed one. BYU out-rebounded Santa Clara 42-18, out-shot them 61 percent to 34 percent and hit 80 percent of their free throws.

The next step will be stringing these types of games together again. BYU’s nine-game winning streak earlier this season proves the Cougars are capable of doing it. Perhaps the new starting lineup is enough to keep things rolling in the right direction.

Next up for BYU is a two-game homestand against Loyola Marymount and San Diego.