(Box Score - html)
PROVO, UTAH Seton Hall led by eight at the half, but in the end, the combination of B.Y.U.’s height, the play of Kenna Young and the wear of three games in three days led to a 77-68 loss to Brigham Young and a 1-2 final record at the B.Y.U. Holiday Classic.
Junior Brian Laing (Bronx, N.Y.) contributed his third consecutive stellar performance in leading the Pirates with 19 points. He also grabbed five rebounds, dished out four assists and recorded a career-high five steals in 38 minutes of action. Tonight’s game, coupled with his double-doubles in the prior two games of the trip, earned Laing a spot on the B.Y.U. Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team.
Freshman Eugene Harvey (Brooklyn, N.Y.) chipped in 18 points and a game-high seven assists. Junior Jamar Nutter (Bloomfield, N.J.) had a third straight solid game, contributing 15 points, three assists and three steals.
Brigham Young’s Kenna Young scored a game-high 26 points and added nine rebounds before being named B.Y.U. Holiday Classic Most Valuable Player. Lee Cummard recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Cougars (10-4).
The Pirates (8-4) came ready to play and jumped all over B.Y.U. in the opening minutes, scoring the games first eight points. Senior Grant Billmeier (Pennington, N.J.), who had fallen under-the-weather following the Oral Roberts game, was hot early, scoring six of the Pirates’ first 12 points. A Cougar 8-0 run tied the game at 14 and for much of the remainder of the first half the game was close. Seton Hall, however, ended the half on a 13-5 run to take a 43-35 lead into half-time.
Seton Hall managed to maintain the lead for the first 13:30 of the second half before B.Y.U.’s big-men wore the smaller Pirates down and Seton Hall started feeling their tired legs. During a 9-1 B.Y.U. run late in the second half, the Cougars took the lead for good and jumped out to a six point cushion at 67-61 with 5:07 remaining.
A jumper by Laing and two free throws by freshman Larry Davis (Middle Village, N.Y.) pulled the Pirates to within four, at 72-68 with 2:14 left. But five made free throws by B.Y.U.’s Austin Ainge iced the game for the Cougars.
The Pirates shot only 37.0 percent for the game after shooting 46.2 percent in the first half. Evidenced by B.Y.U.’s immense height advantage, Seton Hall was out-rebounded, 55-34. The 55 rebounds by the Cougars are a season-high for a Seton Hall opponent. On the brighter side of the box score, the Pirates committed only 10 turnovers and forced 19, while adding to their BIG EAST steals per game average with 15 in this game.
Seton Hall will return to action and open up the BIG EAST Conference schedule on Wednesday, January 3 when they host in-state rival Rutgers. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling 973-275-HALL.
B.Y.U. Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team
Kenna Young - Brigham Young (MVP)
- Lee Cummard - Brigham Young
- Brian Laing - Seton Hall
- Caleb Green - Oral Roberts
- Ken Tutt - Oral Roberts
- Larry Blair - Liberty
