Trevin Knell Punctuates Strong BYU Half With Buzzer-Beating Three
Mar 22, 2025, 7:50 PM
BYU Cougars guard Trevin Knell (21) chest-bumps fellow guard Egor Demin (3) after Knell made a shot to end the first half during a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament held at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Saturday, March 22, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
(Photo courtesy of Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
DENVER – The first half was already heavily in BYU’s favor but Cougar guard Trevin Knell made sure to add a cherry on top.
With less than 10 seconds on the clock, Knell found himself wide open on the left wing and buried the triple.
BYU three to beat the half-time buzzer ‼️
Cougars are DIALED IN 😤#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/jgpbx45HgB
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 23, 2025
The three-pointer put the Cougars back up by double-digits going into the break.
In the first half, Knell filled up the stat sheet with eight points, one rebound, one assist, and one steal. He put those numbers up while shooting over 50 percent from the floor and 60 percent from deep.
It wasn’t just Knell though. The entire BYU squad shot efficiently while also holding the Badgers to subpar marks.
Halftime: BYU 47, Wisconsin 36
Some notable stats
– Rebounds: BYU (+12, 26-14)
– 3PT: BYU 43%, Wisconsin 29%
– Points Off Turnovers: BYU 7, Wisconsin 4— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 23, 2025
Despite being the lower seed, the Cougars looked like the better team for the entirety of the first 20.
With that said, it’s not about how you start. In the first round, the VCU Rams threatened BYU’s lead with a late run. The Cougars had to keep up the intensity to stay in front at Ball Arena.
BYU Basketball Aims For Third Sweet 16 Appearance Since 1979
BYU basketball is on to the Round of 32 where they will face the No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers today.
In the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament, the No. 6 Cougars held off the No. 11 VCU Rams in an 80-71 victory. The win was BYU’s first in the “Big Dance” since 2012.
Wisconsin didnt deal with nearly as much drama as they relatively easily defeated the No. 14 Montana Grizzlies, 85-66.
see you in round two ✌️ pic.twitter.com/mV5099SHMT
— BYU Men’s Basketball (@BYUMBB) March 20, 2025
The last time that BYU basketball beat a single-digit-seeded team in March Madness was back in 1991. However, this BYU team has won 10 of their last 11 games and showed they can alter their playstyle for success as they did against VCU on Thursday.
All signs point toward an even, high-scoring matchup which is probably why CBS picked up the game for primetime.
BYU Gameday Reading
- BYU vs. Wisconsin: Three NCAA Tournament Game Day Thoughts
- BYU Has Opportunity Against Wisconsin To End More NCAA Droughts
- Wisconsin Coach Greg Gard Shares Thoughts On NCAA Matchup With BYU
- Three Things About BYU’s NCAA Opponent: Wisconsin Badgers
- Score Prediction For BYU’s NCAA Matchup Against Wisconsin
- BYU Basketball Prepares For NCAA Tournament Second Round
- BYU Proved They Aren’t ‘One-Trick Pony’ In NCAA Win Over VCU
- Instant Takeaways From BYU’s Impressive NCAA Win Over VCU
Follow BYU and the NCAA Tournament on KSL Sports
The Cougars received a No. 6 seed in the East Region and will continue their “Big Dance” in Denver on Saturday against the No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers.
Follow the BYU Cougars with KSL Sports here.
