Nick Emery made his return from suspension and helped the BYU basketball team to a win over in-state rival, Utah State, this Wednesday, and within 10 seconds of checking into the game, Emery was already making his presence known.
The hot shooting guard took a pass from longtime friend and former high school teammate TJ Haws, finding himself wide open for 3. After draining that shot, Emery quickly recorded a steal and an assist as well, helping the Cougars on their way to a 95-80 victory over the Aggies.
Teammates and coaches of Emery had nothing but praise for the junior guard after Wednesday’s game.
Haws said, “He’s a gamer, and he stepped in and knocked down big shots for us tonight and guarded the ball really well tonight. I knew he was gonna come ready to go.”
Head Coach, Dave Rose, spoke highly of Emery as well, “Nick was way better than I thought he would be. And not that I don’t think he’s capable of playing like that, I just know everything from day one to now of what he’s been through and how emotional this was for him and how much he wanted this to happen.”
Rose also acknowledged that the team just has to keep moving on, ”Now that that’s over, we’ll just move forward.”
Haws also commented, “It’s been a long ride for him. I’m extremely proud of him and for everything he’s gone through, to be able to bounce back like he has, and then to come out tonight and do what he did was a very special thing for him. It’s a confidence boost for all of us; he’s really gonna help us.”
Emery would finish the game with 11 points while shooting 3-4 from beyond the arc, a part of the Cougars game that was really struggling so far this season.
Freshman guard, Connor Harding, also had a nice game, recording 14 points in 21 minutes off the bench. He credited much of the team’s success to their 3 point shooting. “We have to open up the floor for Yoeli and TJ. They make a lot of plays and a lot of people focus on them. So, if we can do our part and hit a couple of shots, then our team is really good.”
BYU shot nearly 48 percent from behind the arc on Wednesday night, a number way above their season average.
The Cougars next game will be tomorrow at Vivint Smart Home Arena against Utah. The last time Nick Emery played against the Utes was three years ago, a game in which he was ejected.