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Basketball

Cougars bounce back with win over San Francisco

Nick Emery looks for someone to pass to in the game against Pepperdine

Nick Emery executes a layup against Coastal Carolina earlier this season. The BYU men's team won 68-52 Saturday night against San Francisco. (Ari Davis)

The BYU men's basketball rebounded from a tough conference loss earlier in the week with a 68-52 win at San Francisco on Saturday night.

Yoeli Childs led BYU with a career-high 21 points and 17 rebounds while TJ Haws contributed 17 points and 5 rebounds on the night.

Each trip to War Memorial Gymnasium at the Sobrato Center has produced a stand-out performance from a BYU player, and this year was Childs. He went 10-for-16 from the field and nearly had a double-double before halftime.

BYU opened the game on a 15-6 run before back-to-back 3-pointers by the Dons cut the lead to three.

The Cougars would outscore San Francisco 21-10 to finish the first half, taking a 36-22 lead to the locker room.

Eighteen of San Francisco's 22 first half points came off of three points and the Dons didn't attempt a single free throw in the half.

BYU was determined on defense throughout the night, locking down the perimeter and protecting the paint. The Cougars finished the game with eight blocks and eight steals and limited San Francisco's effectiveness from beyond the arc.

Overall, the Dons went 12-for-43 from 3-point range, scoring 69% of their points off of 3-pointers.

That strong defensive performance helped the Cougars overcome shooting just under 25% from 3-point range and 46% from the field.

The second half saw BYU extends its lead to a game-high 20 points at the 11:49 mark, 48-28. From there, the Cougars maintained a comfortable lead as the Dons would pull within 13 at the closest.

Mika whistled for 'Class B' technical foul

With 10:02 left to play in the second half, Eric Mika was issued a technical foul for hanging on the rim. The foul would have resulted in his fifth personal foul, but upon review the officials deemed it a 'Class B' technical foul. The NCAA rule book states:

'A CLASS A technical foul involves unsportsmanlike conduct or behavior by a player, substitute, coach or bench personnel. A CLASS B technical foul is an infraction of the rules that neither involves contact with an opponent nor causes contact with an opponent and falls below the limit of an unsportsmanlike act. Examples of CLASS A and CLASS B technical fouls shall include:

1. Unsportsmanlike conduct; using profanity, vulgarity, taunting, baiting (CLASS A);

2. Hanging on the ring, except when doing so to prevent an injury (CLASS B).'

Mika remained in the game and finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds.

With the victory, BYU improves to 18-9 overall and 9-5 in conference play. The win also gives BYU sole possession of third place in the WCC. Up next, the Cougars return home to face San Diego on Feb. 16. Tip off at the Marriott Center is set for 9pm MST.

Earlier on the day, the BYU women's basketball team defeated San Francisco at the Marriott Center 73-61. Cassie Broadhead led the Cougars with 22 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.