BYU basketball: Cougars slay UCF for 81-75 Quad 1 victory

BYU forward Mawot Mag drives for a layup against UCF on Saturday, Feb. 1 in Orlando.

Make that four wins in a row for BYU basketball.

The Cougars outlasted a strong UCF squad 81-75 Saturday afternoon in Orlando, earning their second Quad 1 victory of the season as a major boost for their NCAA Tournament resumé.

3 takeaways

Mawot Mag was brilliant. In a contest Egor Demin, Dallin Hall and Kanon Catchings combined for just four total points, BYU desperately needed an explosive effort elsewhere in order to hang with the Knights.

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Enter Mawot Mag.

The fifth-year senior primarily known for his defense broke out for a season-best 19 points, hitting three 3-pointers and dishing out five assists.

When the Cougars needed a bucket, Mag seemed to always come through. His calmness on the court proved especially valuable considering the hostile road environment that troubled some of his teammates.

While also having played solid defense, one of Mag’s most critical contributions came in the form of drawing three fouls on UCF star Keyshawn Hall in the first half.

The quick foul trouble led to Hall playing just seven minutes before halftime, and considering his 18-point second half outburst, Mag helping to keep him off the floor earlier may have made the winning difference for BYU.

The Cougars lived by the 3-pointer. BYU went 14-of-32 (43.8%) from long distance, with Trevin Knell and Richie Saunders teaming up to drain 10 such shots.

The 3-point attack helped to offset a season-worst 17 turnovers for the Cougars, who ended up averaging an efficient 1.08 points per possession while piling up 22 team assists.

Additionally, BYU scored 28 paint points, held UCF to 37.1% shooting from the field and won the rebounding battle by a 40-34 margin.

Praise should also be given to Keba Keita, who capped off a 10-point, seven rebound performance with a pair of monster blocks in the game’s final 20 seconds to extinguish any remaining chance of a Knights comeback.

BYU has saved its season. Just two weeks ago, the Cougars stumbled in overtime to hated rival Utah, falling to 2-4 in Big 12 play and feeling as if a trip to the NCAA Tournament would elude Kevin Young in his first campaign in Provo.

Not so fast.

Few teams in the country are currently hotter than BYU, as it has won four consecutive contests to storm back on the right side of the tournament bubble.

The Cougars have finally proven capable of winning on the road against both Colorado and UCF. Back at home, they triumphed over Cincinnati and exorcised their late-game demons with an overtime victory against Baylor.

Given BYU’s first-year coaching staff and so many new faces on the roster, it was always going to take some time for this team to gel together and reach its full potential.

It appears such a time has arrived, as the Cougars are firing on all cylinders on a path to finish in the top half of the conference. Battles against the likes of Arizona, Kansas and Iowa State still lie ahead, but if BYU continues to trend in this current direction, the Cougars could be one of the Big 12′s most dangerous units in March.

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