Sixth-seeded BYU waited a long time to get back to the NCAA Tournament, returning to the Big Dance for the first time since 2015, but ended up getting knocked out in the first round.
UCLA, an 11 seed, upset the Cougars 73-62, Saturday at the Hinkle Fieldhouse, to continue to the second round.
It also served as the first time BYU suffered consecutive losses during coach Mark Pope’s two-year tenure.
Here are a few quick thoughts on the game:
1. BYU’s long pause between action shows on the court: The Cougars went 10 days without a game, and started Saturday’s NCAA tourney matchup 0 of 6 from the field, also missing their first two free-throw attempts and with one turnover. UCLA, on the other hand, started aggressively and never let its foot off the gas.
2. The Cougars, once again, were unable to protect the ball as well as they should: BYU turned over the ball 10 times, which the Bruins converted into 11 points. UCLA committed two turnovers early into the second half, but then finished the game clean.
3. Both teams had nearly identical shooting percentages, but UCLA took advantage of its shots: The Bruins had five more t3-pointers made than BYU and eight more field goal attempts than the Cougars. UCLA also outscored BYU 13-7 in second-chance points.
This story will be updated.
from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/3tACrzS
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