Playing for Blood- BYU vs. Portland post-game thoughts

I admit it.  I was worried.

For the first time this season Coach Rose started four guards in the lineup.  This particular rotation has been used many times throughout the course of games, so starting the game with this lineup wouldn't have seemed that strange... if Portland hadn't started three 6'11 guys. 

It's not that I didn't have faith in our guys or that I think Portland has a great team (they're decent, not great).  It's just that the sheer size difference screamed mismatch.  Why wasn't Nielson or Kafusi on the court?  To my pleasant surprise, BYU jumped out to a large lead in the first five minutes.  The Cougs were hungry.


Winder explodes to the rim

That's exactly why I'm falling in love with this team- there's more to them than the roster gives away.  Calling this team 'scrappy' just doesn't cut it.  They're getting hungry.  They're starting to show heart and even a little attitude. 

No, they didn't get into a brawl.  But I counted at least 3 BYU players that let out a jimmer-esque battle cry at some point during the game. 

They were like a pack of wolves, each player attacking from a different angle.

Haws, Winder and Collinsworth were relentless, each tallying at least 20 points.  Those three plus Fisher disrupted Portand's offense with two steals a piece.  They attacked the rim and crashed the boards.  Even with a great size advantage, the Portland Pilots had just one more rebound than BYU (36-35).  The Cougars racked up 16 fast-break points while their opponent had none.

The most telling stat may be the Cougars' 22 assists on 33 field goals.  Good shots were passed up for better ones.  No one was selfish, each guy just wanted to win.  The Cougars had a chip on their shoulder. 

BYU was coming off an 8 point loss at home to #8 ranked Gonzaga just two days earlier.  That loss marked the Cougars' largest margin of defeat this season, having suffered last minute heartbreak in all three of their previous losses, one coming in regulation, one in overtime and another in double overtime.  No time to lick their wounds.

After the game, Anson Winder admitted that his team played with a bit of anger in their hearts to clinch the 97-88 victory.  One of the players also reported that in several consecutive timeouts during the game, Rose kept saying that "somebody needs to get on the floor."  In the second half, Anson Winder wrestled the ball away from a defender and ended up on the ground.  Cue the battle cry. 

Winder has been contributing all season.  But this game he wasn't just a spark off the bench, he was more like a firecracker right from the tip-off.  In my opinion he is the most improved player from last season.  Of course, part of the reason for his success is that he is getting progressively more playing time, and rightly so.

In his post game comments, Portland coach Eric Reveno said of the BYU team, "They’re so good, skilled and competitive...they may not have a lot of size but they’re very physical and make it hard to do what you want to do."

The Pilots didn't appear to be prepared to run the floor the way that BYU likes to, especially with four guards on the court.  Do I think that BYU can continue beating teams with this four-guard lineup?  Yes, but not great teams.  For now, the Cougars are driving and kicking to create shots.  At some point, they're going to need a big man that can score with his back to the basket and provide a legitimate inside threat.

If the Cougs can keep sharing the meat the way they did last night, that shouldn't be much of a problem in the future. 


Haws' Battle Cry