The Cougars regained momentum with an 82-57 victory over Northwestern at home, earning two consecutive wins after a season-opening loss to Nevada on Nov. 6.
Yoeli Childs stole the show early on with 12 points in the first half. Jahshire Hardnett followed Childs' momentum and led the team with two steals on the night. Dalton Nixon had a career night of his own, tying a personal record of 15 points in a single game.
Through the first half, BYU shot 50 percent from the field while shooting 31 percent from the three-point line. In comparison, the Cougars held the Demons to a 32 percent shooting percentage from the field while only allowing Northwestern State to attempt three shots from behind the arc in the half.
BYU led NSU 42-25 at halftime after closing the half on a 10-0 run helped by a Nixon three-pointer and good ball movement by the Cougars.
BYU would expand its lead early in the second half as it scored the first eight points to start the frame. This would add to the 10-0 run that concluded the first half as the Cougars doubled the Demons 50-25.
The Cougars' freshman trio of Gavin Baxter, Connor Harding and Kolby Lee would all make an appearance against the Demons. Harding continued to impress as he netted 11 points through just 19 minutes of play, doubling his point total on the season. Baxter would get a pair of buckets of his own ending the night with four points, while Lee made the most of his time tallying three points in just five minutes of play.
The Cougars would go on to take the 25-point victory over the Demons, bringing their season record to 2-1. Coach Dave Rose said he was pleased with the win and defensive performance but said tonight’s film will be critical moving forward as they improve their offensive rhythm.
“It’s a good start to a busy week, Rose said. 'I think that there are a lot of things that we can learn from this film that will help us … as far as our preparation and then looking forward to Oral Roberts on Wednesday.'
BYU will finish this week with a pair of home games. The Cougars are set to take on Oral Roberts University on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. while Alabama A&M will pay a visit to the Marriott Center on Nov. 17 with the tip-off set for 4 p.m.