BYU Basketball Questions Answered In Win Against Weber State
Dec 22, 2022, 9:45 PM
BYU basketball will wear a new black uniform against Westminster. (Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo)
(Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo)
PROVO, Utah – The BYU basketball team narrowly held on to defeat the Weber State Wildcats 63-57.
Let’s answer some questions regarding another Cougar in-state victory.
Who was the MVP for BYU basketball?
It truly was a team win with four players scoring at least eight points.
However, I thought Fousseyni Traore, who led BYU in scoring, played a great game for the Cougars and he’s my choice for MVP.
He scored 17 points while grabbing eight rebounds.
#BYU hangs on against Weber State.
It wasn’t always pretty, but the Cougars dominated the boards (+12) and played good defense to beat the Wildcats. #BYUhoops
— Matthew Baiamonte (@baiamontematt) December 23, 2022
His efforts on the glass were one of the main reasons BYU won this game. The Cougars were plus 12 on the boards.
The Cougars only shot 38 percent from the field, and even less from the three-point line at 25 percent.
They had multiple scoring droughts in the second half.
However, their effort defensively carried them through to the finish line.
What was something that caught by attention during the game?
The block of the night was courtesy of senior forward Gideon George right before the horn sounded at the end of the first half.
It’s not often you see a BYU athlete married the night before a sporting event, but that was the situation for George.
The newly married Gideon George with a block at the buzzer. Nice play.#BYU leads Weber State 29-24 at the half.#BYUHoops
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) December 23, 2022
On the final play of the first half, Weber State Junior Ballard tried to go coast-to-coast for a lay-up.
George tracked down Ballard from behind and swatted the ball away.
It was a beautiful effort play by George, who demonstrated the length and athleticism on that play that makes him valuable two-way player.
What was the most interesting stat from the game?
It’s no secret that BYU is an undersized team.
Their tallest player, Noah Waterman, rarely plays inside meaning Fousseyni Traore and Atiki Ally Atiki are the only two low post players.
Considering that fact, I thought it was impressive that BYU out-blocked Weber State 8-2.
Head coach Mark Pope has prioritized length on the perimeter, and it’s helped BYU become a stingy defensive team.
There could have been another block credited to Traore late in the game, but Noah Waterman committed a foul while providing help defense.
When was the game won by BYU basketball?
After Gideon George ripped down a massive offensive rebound with 11 seconds remaining, Jaxson Robinson needed to make a pair of free throws to seal the victory.
Robinson had only attempted two free throws all season long before heading to the line.
He calmly nailed both free throws and the Cougars went on to beat the Wildcats.
dub💯 pic.twitter.com/5YdQRDCaAy
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) December 23, 2022
The Cougars have won five games in a row after losing to Utah Valley early in December.
You can hear Matt Baiamonte every Saturday on KSL Newsradio for Cougar Sports Saturday from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. or you can find him on Twitter.
