During the last 10 days, BYU defeated its arch rival, Utah; Its players finish the final exam; And the Cougars erected a monumental road over the 18th San Diego State.
Media across the country noted the victory over the Aztecs on Friday, as the BYU received nine votes in the Associated Press poll released Monday morning.
For a team that has proven it can respond to adversity – such as reducing the USC’s 26-point loss earlier this month – BYU is also proving that it can respond to success.
In other words, BYU didn’t experience a fall Monday night against the Texas Southern squad at the Marriott Center, which most people think of, even without a day of preparation on Sunday.
It was a Family Home Evening in Provo, and although at the time the Kurgers were in a service-minded mood – beaten by small, boring tigers on the road – in the end, BYU won a strong 87 87-7171.
“This is a really dangerous team,” coach Mark Pope said of the Texas Southern. “They are a high-major, a division I transfer group. We were having a lot of worries about this game. We felt it was a test of our team’s maturity and they responded to llnt. ”
The Pope knows that one enemy of progress is listening to the outside voices of fans and other observers.
“Pundits and everyone else say, ‘This game will not be as tough as Friday’s game,’ if we can block all those voices, we will respect the game and we will have success,” Pope said. “Hopefully we can internalize this as a team and have even more confidence for the next game … I can’t be more proud of our people in terms of attitude towards this game.”
A cougar that handled success well? To go with five rebounds against Texas Southern, senior guard Brandon Everett put up a career-high 300 points, including six-pointers.
After burying the game-changing 3-pointer with 52 seconds left, the hero of SDSU’s victory, Everett, returned on Monday.
Richardson, a 5-foot-11 product from Texas, scored 17 points in the final eight minutes, while BYU needed it the most.
Between the second half, Texas Southern led 13-0 and reached nine points, 61-52. That’s when Ret Varet nailed the 3-pointer for the second time with 8:03 left.
“I’m not surprised that Brandon is a little bit off what Alex Barcelona was last year.” “Our content is a bit complicated and there is a learning curve. What you’re seeing is Brandon’s confidence, not just in his game, but his understanding of the way we play. I am very proud of it. It has been huge for us. ”
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Matt Harms () of the BYU Center defended Texas Southern forward Jordan Carl Nichols () on Monday, December 2017, 2020 during the Cougars’ 87-7171 victory at the Marriott Center in Provo.
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BYU center Richard Harvard (42૨) sank during the Cougars’ 87-71 victory over Texas Southern at the Marriott Center in Provo on Monday, December 21, 2020.
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Texas Southern forward Jordan Carl Nichols () shoots BYU forward Gideon George () during the Cougars’ 71-7171 victory at the Marriott Center in Provo on December 21, 2020.
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BYU defender Brandon Everett (4) fired from a 3-point range during the Cougars’ 87-71 victory over Texas Southern at the Marriott Center in Provo on December 21, 2020.
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BYU defender Alex Barcelona (13) dribbles during the Cougars’ 87-71 victory over Texas Southern at the Marriott Center in Provo on Monday, December 21, 2020.
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BYU defender Brandon Everett (4) brought the ball upcourt during the Cougars’ 87-71 victory over Texas Southern at the Marriott Center in Provo on December 21, 2020.
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BYU center Matt Harms () sinks the ball, surrounded by a trio of Texas Southern defenders, during the Cougars’ 71-7171 victory at the Marriott Center in Provo on Monday, December 21, 2020.
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BYU guard Connor Harding (44) defends Texas Southern forward Justin Hopkins (15) during the Cougars’ 87-71 victory at the Marriott Center in Provo on December 21, 2020.
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The BYU bench celebrated the defense during the Cougars ’87-71 win over Texas Southern at the Marriott Center in Provo on Monday, December 21, 2020.
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BYU forward Colby Lee () will be diving on the floor for the ball during the Cougars’ 71-711 win over Texas Southern at the Marriott Center in Provo on December 21, 2020.
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Richard Harvard, who played with Ret Variety at Utah Valley University, appreciates what Everett has to offer Kurgas right now.
“Brandon Everett is one of the most clutch players I’ve ever met. He is a definite baler. I heard people were suspicious when he came here to BYU, “said Harvard, who scored 13 points and pulled down five rebounds.” But I knew him at UVU and I knew that legend when this guy came here. It’s going to happen. It’s really satisfying for me and it’s really fun to see him in that role and he’s a reliable person. ”
Everett feels more confident and comfortable with his role and is not afraid to take open shots when he presents himself as he did on Monday.
“I’m trying to keep it simple and find my way into the system,” he said. “And have fun there. That’s the biggest thing that is helping me. ”
BYU big man Matt Harms scored 16 points and four rebounds while Barcelona scored a double double with 10 points and 10 assists.
The Cougars improved to 8-2 in the season while the Texas Southern dropped to 2-5.
For BYU, Monday’s win was a big deal.
“We gave this game more potential than our San Diego State. Those big, top-3 games, we’re all going to show up for those games, “Everett said. “But these kinds of low-level sports teams will ignore those games and you can slip. The coach kept reminding us that this was going to be the toughest game of the year for us. We accepted that mentality, went there, and took over our business. ”
Texas Southern led guard Michael Waethers on 23 points. Yahuza Rasa added 15 points and 12 rebounds products.
BYU takes on Weber State at Vivint Arena on Wednesday.
