BYU Beats San Diego, Locks Up No. 3 Seed In Conference Tournament
Mar 2, 2019, 10:44 PM
BYU Photo - Jaren Wilkey
PROVO, Utah – The BYU Cougars secured the No. 3 seed in the upcoming West Coast Conference tournament with an 87-73 victory over San Diego and a loss by San Francisco to Loyola Marymount.
Yoeli Childs continued to etch his name in the annals of BYU history by completing his 37th career double-double with a 29-point, 13-rebound performance. The new mark tied former Cougar star Kyle Collinsworth for third all-time.
TJ Haws also added 26 points as the Cougars sent seniors McKay Cannon and Luke Worthington out with a victory in their final home game of the year.
COUGS WIN!!#BYUhoops #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/eIFnkUI4ye
— BYU Basketball (@BYUbasketball) March 3, 2019
Cougars Go Cold, Hold On For Win
It looked like the Cougars were going to coast to the victory with a 20-point lead with less than 10 minutes remaining. The Toreros, however, did not go down quietly as they fought to bring the score to six with a little more than two minutes remaining.
The Cougars, who had gone cold from the field, not making a single field goal in the final 5:43 of the game, came away with the win thanks to come clutch free throwing shooting the stretch.
.@yochilds22 lives above the rim
22 points and 12 board so far for Yoeli#BYUhoops #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/5SWuPODdix
— BYU Basketball (@BYUbasketball) March 3, 2019
The win gives BYU a final record of 11-5 in conference play, tying them with Saint Mary’s for second place. The Gaels, however, possess the tie-breaker and will take the No. 2 seed in the tournament.
BYU finished the regular season with a 19-12 record, making this season the first in the Dave Rose era that the Cougars failed to win 20 games.
Possible Tournament Opponents
It is not clear yet who the Cougars will play in the WCC tournament, which begins on March 7 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
BYU will wait to face the winner of Santa Clara, which will face the winner of San Diego and Portland.
The Cougars beat Santa Clara 80-74 in the two team’s lone meeting on Jan. 12.
Cosmo stays the 🐐#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/x1BZLtLSwX
— BYU Cougars (@BYUCougars) March 3, 2019
Including the win on Saturday, the Cougars got the better of San Diego twice. They also defeated the Toreros in an 88-82 overtime victory on Feb. 14.
Portland, the conference’s lowest seed, went winless in WCC games. BYU handed the Pilots two losses, the first a 79-56 beatdown in Provo on Jan. 10 and the second a 83-48 clubbing in Portland on Feb. 7.
Whoever the Cougars end up playing, the game will not take place until March 9 in Vegas.
