BYU Basketball Crushes Last Place Portland, 105-60

PROVO, Utah – BYU Basketball rolled through the last place Portland Pilots in Portland by a score of 105-60.

The win improves BYU’s record to 15-4 overall and 6-2 in West Coast Conference play.

BYU’s 105 points are the most against a Division I opponent this season and it’s the second time this year that BYU has scored over 100 this season. The first time was in the season opener against Westminster.

Six different BYU players scored double-figures. Gideon George scored 19 points, Matt Haarms with 15, Brandon Averette dropped 15, Alex Barcello poured in 12, Connor Harding off the bench with another 12, and Caleb Loher scored 11.

2nd Half

BYU 96, Portland 55 (3:50): The stark difference between what BYU is facing tonight and what they’ll see on Monday is simply mindblowing.

BYU 86, Portland 50 (7:48): Connor Harding is quietly having a nice game for BYU. Mark Pope discussed last week how the junior forward is getting more attention now from the media as a reserve than he was as a starter. Off the bench, Harding has scored 12 points and is 5-6 from the field.

Bobby Sharp is not coming through that door for Portland.@BYUbasketball – 86 @PortlandPilots – 50

7:48 | 2nd#BYUHoops #WCChoops #GoCougs

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 5, 2021

Matt Haarms owns Portland. The 7-foot-3 big man is up to 15 points and three rebounds, while Gideon George tracker is now at 19 points and 13 rebounds.

BYU 76, Portland 42 (11:38): Bobby Sharp is not coming through that door for Portland.

BYU 65, Portland 40 (15:28): Gideon George set a career-high for scoring as he jumped up to 15 points on the night. What a performance for the JUCO transfer in his first career start.

Halftime Notables

• BYU shot 67% from the field in the first half and 64% from three.
• Gideon George himself outrebounded (6) Portland (5) through the first 20 minutes.
• BYU has the edge on Portland with points the paint, 22-6.
• Five BYU players scored six points or more in the first half: Gideon George (10), Matt Haarms (9), Brandon Averette (8), Alex Barcello (7), and Connor Harding (6)

1st Half

BYU 52, Portland 30 (HALF): BYU closed off the first half in style on a 14-0 run. Gideon George finished the first half with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

#BYU needed one of these nights where everything clicked on the offensive end. Now the challenge in the second half will be to not give up the big lead.

Portland more manageable than Pepperdine or Pacific. #BYUHoops @kslsports

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) February 5, 2021

Connor Harding hit another corner three. Brandon Averette knocked down a triple as well off a Gideon George steal, and then Richard Harward capped off the half with a buzzer-beater floater to put BYU up 52-30.

The Cougars 52 points were their most in a half this season against Division I competition.

BYU 40, Portland 30 (2:59): Gideon George delivered another and-one along with a bucket in the paint to bring his scoring total to eight so far. Portland’s Ali and Davis keep hitting threes to keep the Pilots within striking distance.

BYU 33, Portland 23 (7:02): BYU is cooking shooting the ball tonight. The Cougs are currently 65 percent from the field and 63 percent from beyond the arc. Portland is shooting 63 percent from deep as well, as they try to keep things close.

#BYU is cooking tonight in Portland. 🔥

Cougs are shooting 65% from the field and 63% from three.@BYUbasketball – 33@PortlandPilots – 23

7:02 | 1st#BYUHoops #WCChoops #GoCougs

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 5, 2021

BYU 23, Portland 11 (12:14): The Cougars built their lead as they reeled off a 10-0 run capped off by a Trevin Knell three off the bench.

Matt Haarms knocking down threes. If that continues in the final month of the regular season, would be a big boost for #BYU. #BYUHoops #GoCougs

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) February 5, 2021

BYU 16, Portland 11 (14:52): BYU’s new lineup found success on the offensive end in the early going. Alex Barcello and Matt Haarms hit a pair of threes and Gideon George had an and-one opportunity that he converted. Portland, who has shown an ability to get hot from the field in games, buried a trio of threes in the opening minutes.

BYU/Portland Pregame

BYU head coach Mark Pope made a change to his starting lineup. Trevin Knell and Kolby Lee move out while Gideon George and Caleb Lohner slide in. For George, this is his first career start as a BYU Cougar. Lohner started games during non-conference play.

LINEUP CHANGE at Portland 👀@AlexBarcello23 @BAforever_4 @GideonOmohkudu @caleblohner
Matt Haarms#BYUhoops #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/jr6lL8RyCg

— BYU Basketball (@BYUbasketball) February 4, 2021

Portland star Ahmed Ali, who missed the Pilots last game is listed in the starting lineup. He’s averaging 18 points per game this season.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m., KSL Newsradio). Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper and the KSL Sports app.