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Due in part to COVID-19-related schedule disruptions involving other teams, it had been two weeks since BYU won a game and it was 10 days since the Cougars had played a game.
Many wondered how BYU would perform on the road Thursday night at the Spanos Center.
Well let’s just say the Cougars didn’t have to squeal in front of Pacific like they did on Jan. 30 in Provo in a double overtime win.
This time around, first-year forward Caleb Lohner dropped just one rebound before a double-double, scoring a career-high 19 points and knocking down nine boards, as BYU pulverized the Tigers 80-52.
After dropping 11 points at home to No.1 Gonzaga on February 8, the Cougars spent their extended layoff trying to fill their gaps, which were revealed by the Zags. And they expected more successful exits.
“This is exactly what I envisioned. In the last 10 days without playing we’ve been working really hard, ”Lohner told BYU Radio Network. “A lot of the teams in the country right now aren’t training that hard. There are all these big shortcomings of not playing games. I think we really took advantage of this time. We just got better. I think it showed on the court tonight of everything – our attack, our defense, the bounce of the ball, being in the right places, making the game simple. I am really proud of this team tonight.
Lohner knocked down 6 of 8 shots from the ground, including 5 of 6 in 3-point territory.
The 6-foot-8, 230-pound Dallas native started the season missing his first 11 3 points. On Thursday he looked a bit like Jake Toolson or TJ Haws from the 3 point line.
“He’s a special young man. Over the course of his career the whole country will get to know him, ”coach Mark Pope told CBS Sports Network of Lohner. “He’s obviously spectacular on the court. He is learning and growing and so impatient every day. As a human being off the pitch, he’s actually 10 times more fascinating. I’m super proud of him tonight. We expected him to make a jump here towards the end of the season and that is certainly what he does.
As a team, the Cougars hit 13 of 27 3 points. Trevin Knell came off the bench to make 4 of 6 3 points and he finished with 15 points. Oddly enough, BYU shot 13 of 27 from 2-point distance and 13 of 27 from 3-point territory.
“Trevin was excellent tonight. He came in a little earlier than usual in the rotation because of (Gideon George’s) foul and he responded really well, ”said Pope. “I love Trev when he has a chip on his shoulder. This is when he gives the best of himself.
During a stretch midway through the second half, Lohner drilled three 3-pointers in a row, stretching BYU’s lead from 52-35 to 61-36.
Lohner’s only basket of the night that was not a 3 point came with 13 seconds left in the first half. He was sprinting across the floor on a quick break when guard Brandon Averette threw a fairway at him that Lohner summarily hammered to give the Cougars a 38-24 advantage.
“This transition game was awesome,” Pope said. “His athleticism is extraordinary. We see his athleticism over and over again. He came up with some amazing offensive rebounds that you don’t see at any level in college basketball.
In the previous game against Pacific, when the game was tied at 64 points apiece, Lohner missed two free throws with 3.2 seconds left in regulation. Shortly after that game ended, he stayed at the Marriott Center, spending considerable time working on his free throws.
It’s part of Lohner’s impressive work ethic.
“He works so hard. He performs countless shots before and after training. He’s in the movie theater every day trying to learn one-on-one, ”Pope said. “You have to keep putting it within you until it becomes something over time that is second nature. He had moments of second nature tonight. It was awesome. … He gave you a little idea of who he could be. He’s pretty special.
In Pacific’s loss to Loyola Marymount last Saturday, Jeremiah Bailey scored a career-high 28 points. Against BYU, he was held scoreless on 0 of 6 shots.
“The best thing (Lohner) tonight was his defensive performance,” Pope said. “We’ve been talking about Jeremiah Bailey all last week. He’s put on a show the last two games. He was on fire. Caleb was basically healthy defensively all night. It is not easy. “
“We were pretty aware (of Bailey),” Lohner said. “It was a hot topic going into practice this week and finding ways to stop it because it was rolling. We did a great job as a team. “
With the win, BYU improved to 16-5 overall and 7-3 in the West Coast Conference game. Pacific fell to 6-7 and 3-6.
Pope said the key to victory was how Averette and Alex Barcello orchestrated the offense. They combined to distribute 12 assists and they had just two turnovers. Barcello finished with 15 points, five assists and three steals while Averette added 10 points and seven assists.
Matt Haarms scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds and set the tone in the opening minutes of the contest.
“Matt Haarms was amazing tonight,” Pope said. “His minutes were amazing. His physique was off the charts to start the match.
More than anything, Pope loved to see the energy and aggressiveness of his team after enduring a long time without playing games.
“I am incredibly proud. What they have been doing for the past 10 days has been very difficult, ”he said. “We put a lot of emphasis on three key areas where we felt we were falling short: physicality, communication and ball protection. The guys excelled in all three areas tonight against a very good team.
“I’m proud of the way we reacted after this big game gap,” Lohner said. “We started and the whole game we kept coming to them. There was no break. I’m really proud of how we came out after playing for a while.
BYU visits Loyola Marymount on Saturday.
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