Answering Questions From No. 19 BYU’s Rematch With UCF
Feb 13, 2024, 9:53 PM | Updated: 10:13 pm
Trevin Knell and Jaxson Robinson celebrate in the win against UCF (Courtesy of BYU Photo).
(Courtesy of BYU Photo)
PROVO, Utah – No. 19 BYU basketball won their sixth conference game of the season with a 90-88 win over the UCF Knights.
Let’s answer some questions from the first repeat Big 12 opponent the Cougars have faced this season.
Who was the MVP for BYU basketball?
Several players made significant contributions, however, I thought the scoring from Trevin Knell was crucial to the victory.
He’s my choice for MVP with 17 points.
Jaxson Robinson is deserving as well. His free throw shooting down the stretch preserved a BYU win.
This was a sloppy game. There were a combined 46 fouls called. Add in the turnovers, and this could have easily been a loss if free throws weren’t made.
Trevin Knell is the first Cougar with 10 free throws in a game since Rudi Williams had 11 against LMU on March 4, 2023.#BYUHoops #GoCougs
— BYU Game Notes (@BYUGameNotes) February 14, 2024
Knell knocked down 10 of his 13 free throws. Robinson made 12 of 13 from the line. All of them were needed.
What was the most interesting stat from the game?
After making less than 50 percent of their free throws in the win against Kansas State, BYU followed that up with a stellar performance from the line.
Mark Pope wasn't kidding when he said this would be a slugfest. UCF makes teams work for an entire 40 minutes.#BYU #BYUHoops #Big12
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) February 14, 2024
BYU made 87 percent of their season-high 46 attempts.
On a night where the long ball wasn’t falling, all 40 free throw makes were critical.
What was the play of the game?
BYU’s offense struggled toward the end of the first half. The Cougars once had a 12-point lead, but UCF slowly chipped it down to four points.
With 1:29 remaining in the second half, BYU faced a tricky situation with three seconds on the shot clock. Trey Stewart inbounded the ball to Jaxson Robinson well behind the three-point line.
From the edge of the “stretch Y” logo, Robinson buried the deep shot while drawing a foul. He went on to finish the four-point play.
that one's from deep deep @Robinsonjaxx 🫢
+1
📺: https://t.co/pUBAZWWinT pic.twitter.com/Qs1mRJLNwH
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) February 14, 2024
Robinson scored seven of the final 11 points for the Cougars, helping extend the lead to 13 points at the break.
He’s easily the team’s best “difficult shot-maker.” It’s fun to watch him score when he gets in the flow like he did at the end of the first half.
When was the game won by BYU?
UCF wouldn’t go away easily. BYU didn’t win this thing until the final horn sounded.
With nine seconds left, Jaxson Robinson made two crucial free throws to give BYU a four-point lead.
Shemarri Allen nailed a difficult shot with one-second remaining, but he was unable to draw a foul call and the Cougars survived.
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 @baiamontematt here.
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