By Robert Weiler
In a tale of two halfs, the BYU men''s basketball team couldn''t overcome a 22-point deficit after the first half to lose to North Carolina State 72-61.
But the energy and drive the Cougars displayed in the second half had players and coaches optimistic that the team''s attitude had finally turned the corner.
'I was proud to be the coach of BYU,' head coach Steve Cleveland said. 'I haven''t been able to say that after every game this year. It''s still not a win, but it''s progress.'
One player who certainly made progress was senior forward Mike Hall, who busted out of a slump with 18 points while trying to guard N.C. State''s Julius Hodge.
'It was a moral victory for us,' he said. 'We lost, but everybody was happy with the way we played.'
BYU shot 51.6 percent from the field in the second half for 43 points, running its offense the way Cleveland said it is supposed to be run.
'We got to the baseline and got it inside,' he said. 'We got the ball to the right people and played with energy.'
BYU was able to get the ball to center Jared Jensen on the blocks, who resurrected his game as well on Tuesday with 14 points.
Ten of Jensen''s points, however, came in the first half when BYU made only 5-of-24 shots and scored two points in the last eight minutes of the opening period.
Despite the second-half surge from the Cougars, North Carolina State controlled the game from the tipoff and made big plays at every sign of a possible momentum swing down the stretch. The Wolfpack''s smallest lead of the game was nine points in the second period.
'Our intensity wasn''t as good (in the second half) because we got the early lead, but winners get the win,' Hodge said, who finished the night with 22 points.
After scoring 10 points in a row early in the game, Hodges made only one basket the first 15 minutes of the second half before hitting four key free throws in crunch time.
Tony Bethel also added 15 points for the Wolfpack while disrupting Austin Ainge and BYU''s backcourt on defense.
'That was the best defensive team we''ll play all year,' Cleveland said.
With the most difficult part of their non-conference schedule behind them, the 2-8 Cougars head to Ogden on Thursday for another in-state battle against Weber State.