Cougs Daily

Richie Saunders Leads BYU to Blowout Win Over Arizona State in Conference Opener

Talmage Morgan

Abby Shelton/BYU Photo
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The Cougars took on Arizona State on Tuesday in their New Year's Eve conference opener. Both teams entered the game with 9-2 non-conference records and were looking to get conference play started with a win. BYU jumped out to an early lead, going on an 18-4 run, and never looked back. At one point the lead shrank to five, but BYU quickly stretched it back out.

The storylines of this game were improved defensive chemistry, effective ball movement, and scoring consistency. For arguably the first time this season, the Cougars looked like a well-oiled machine on defense, rarely giving up easy looks to the Sun Devils and even turning them over 13 times. Catchings and Saunders finished with a steal and a block each.

The Cougars weren't perfect on offense, giving up 14 turnovers, but they generated consistent offense in both halves. Richie Saunders led the offense with a career-high 30 points.

Arizona State entered this game averaging over five blocks per game, good for second in the conference and 15th in the country, and they left the Marriott Center without a single one.

Head Coach Kevin Young couldn't have asked for a better way to start conference play. A big win against a solid Arizona State team, in the Marriott Center, and a complete game from his team on both sides of the ball. The Cougars have shown clear improvement every week and I fully expect that trend to continue.

Next up, BYU will take a road trip this Saturday to face off against No. 14 Houston in what will be a physical, hard-fought game. An away win against a ranked Houston team would be huge for the Cougars.

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Talmage Morgan
TALMAGE MORGAN

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