BYU improves to 3-0.
The Cougars earned another early 98-82 victory over Queens on Tuesday night at the Marriott Center, topping 90 points for the third straight game.
3 takeaways
BYU let it fly from deep. The Cougars made 17 total 3-pointers on 37 attempts against Queens, good for an overall clip of 46%.
Interestingly enough, BYU has now made 46% of its 3-point shots in each of its three games this season. Go figure.
Eight different players made shots from behind the arc for the Cougars, with Nate Pickens and Jaxon Kohler hitting three triples each.
Nate Pickens had his best game as a Cougar. After missing all of last season due to injury, BYU fans haven’t had much of a chance to see Pickens in action.
On Tuesday, he finally had an exceptional performance for the Cougars.
Pickens posted a plus/minus of +23 off the bench, scoring 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting with two rebounds, one assist and two steals.
BYU needs to defend the perimeter better. The Cougars may have hit several threes on Tuesday, but so did Queens.
The Royals made 14 of 34 3-pointers (41%), including 50% from deep in the second half.
The Queens previously averaged over 50 paint points per game, and BYU did a solid job of containing the Royals, only to eventually give up points on the perimeter.
Overall, Queens shot 41% from the field and averaged less than 1.1 points per possession, still scoring 82 points due to their extreme pace in 76 total possessions.
BYU forced 13 turnovers while crushing eight blocks and nine steals, but the 3-point defense needs to improve.
Of course, the Queens are a reigning NCAA Tournament team that has brought back most of its offensive core and has proven to be prolific in scoring, while the Cougars are still discovering their defensive identity with so many new pieces. The Royals would still have an advantage in this regard.
Perhaps Tuesday’s outing will help BYU better manage fast-paced offenses in the future.
Gn sports
