BYU Basketball dominated Utah on Saturday, riding another exceptional performance from Yoeli Childs and an effective new look from Zac Seljaas.
It’s official, BYU can beat Utah in every sport except football…and women’s gymnastics.
The Cougars beat down the Utes in men’s basketball on Saturday 74-59 at Vivint Smarthome Arena in the first game of the Beehive Classic.
BYU used a 13-0 run at the start of the second half to put the game away. They were led by a monster game from Yoeli Childs and a breakout performance by Zac Seljaas.
And Nick Emery didn’t punch anybody.
And Larry Krystkowiak didn’t swear at opposing players.
There was one kick to the head by a Utah player, but it’s wasn’t intentional (we think).
Here are the biggest takeaways from the win:
Man-Childs
At one point Yoeli Childs was single-handedly beating the Utes 12-10. He finished with his third straight 31-point game, and did it on exceptional 13-16 shooting. Then there were also his 11 rebounds and two assists.
Childs has become arguably the most dominant BYU player since Jimmer Fredette.
And let’s not forget that dunk:
CHILDS PLAY 😤 #SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/9k7S6gHg7E
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 8, 2018
Attack Mode Seljaas
Seljaas had a breakout game against Utah, and he didn’t do it from deep. The sharpshooter had a great all-around game, with 14 points, six rebounds, five steals, and three assists.
He only hit two of his eight three-pointers, but he attacked the basket more than any other game he’s played in. If he can continue to hone that driving ability it’ll open up better looks for him from deep.
Now he needs to work on consistently hitting those lay-ups when he gets them.
Starting Shuffle
Dave Rose shuffled the starting lineup again, starting Jashire Hardnett, TJ Haws, Connor Harding, Zac Seljaas, and Yoeli Childs.
He may have found his best combination. Harding brings the same things to the lineup that Dalton Nixon did – smart play and hustle – but he can stretch the defense with his shooting as well.
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And defensively that lineup completely kept the Utes from establishing any offensive rhythm.
No More Zone
Speaking of the defense, the Cougars caused a lot of disruption. They held the Utes to just 36.5% shooting and 33.3% from distance. And they did a much better job of shutting down dribble penetration.
Their one bad defensive stretch came midway through the second half when they switched to a matchup zone that had more holes than a soccer net. The Utes used that time to bring the game back within single-digits and trigger flashbacks of a certain football game a few weeks ago.
Fortunately Utah never got any closer than that, but it may be time to scrap that matchup zone.