Report Card: BYU 70, Virginia Tech 68

Brigham Young Cougars

70

Final

68

Virginia Tech Hokies

STARTERS

	Matt Carlino, PG 3-15 FG | 1-8 3PT | 0-0 FT | 6 REB | 5 AST | 7 PTS Don't look now, but this is becoming a thing. Carlino was offensively atrocious for his third consecutive game, shooting an abysmal 20 percent from the floor. Then again, no one else was making shots anyway, so Rose stuck with the freshman for 35 minutes — and credit Matt for staying focused, making smart plays, and stepping up to finally hit a couple key shots down the stretch.
	Brock Zylstra, SG 1-5 FG | 1-5 3PT | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 2 AST | 3 PTS We need to be honest here: this was probably Zylstra's worst offensive game of the year. That being said, thanks be to everything good and holy that Brockzylla somehow wandered out of his personal shooting wilderness just long enough to drop the game-winning 3-pointer. Zylstra may have been largely irrelevant for his other 26 minutes on the floor, but he made that one count.
	Charles Abouo, SF 3-13 FG | 1-7 3PT | 2-2 FT | 8 REB | 2 AST | 9 PTS It's hard to understate how important Abouo is to this team. When he plays well, they excel. When he doesn't, they struggle. Charles didn't look so good in Blacksburg, but he managed to (briefly) put it together in a few key moments to sustain the Cougars' momentum. Also, he did an excellent job of locking down the wing and defending aggressively in the 2-3 zone. Kudos for that.
	Noah Hartsock, PF 7-12 FG | 1-1 3PT | 7-8 FT | 7 REB | 1 AST | 22 PTS Statistically, this may not have been Hartsock's best game, but it was certainly his biggest. With Davies in foul trouble, Noah put BYU on his back and practically took over the game for 5-6 minutes in the second half. It seemed like every time I turned around, he was either making a big shot or getting to the line. Oh, and did I mention his game-saving block on the last play? Indispensable.
	Brandon Davies, C 3-9 FG | 0-0 3PT | 11-12 FT | 5 REB | 4 AST | 17 PTS BYU probably won this game at the free throw line, and Davies' 12 attempts (and 11 makes!) were crucial. Brandon struggled a bit from the floor, but it didn't really matter. He made a living at the stripe and, had he stayed out of foul trouble, probably would have gone for 25-plus on the night. Also worth mentioning — his cross-court pass to Zylstra for the game-winner. Perfect.

BENCH

	Nate Austin, C 3-7 FG | 0-0 3PT | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 0 AST | 6 PTS Austin saw a lot of time in Blacksburg, and he certainly made the most of it. While he didn't rebound the ball as prolifically as usual, he did knock down a series of momentum-killing shots to silence the crowd. Several times when the Hokies started to make a run, Nate flat-out killed their buzz with timely baskets. The big freshman showed no fear.
	Craig Cusick, PG 0-0 FG | 0-0 3PT | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 PTS After playing big minutes against Pepperdine, Cusick was largely banished to the bench in this one. I don't know if the change was due to match-up problems or Rose's desire to give Carlino a full vote of confidence or something else entirely, but Craig only played 5 minutes against Tech and he really didn't have a chance to do too much. He was there for a second and then, in a flash, he was gone.
	Damarcus Harrison, SG 1-2 FG | 1-2 3PT | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 3 PTS Chalk this up as the biggest surprise of the night. After riding the pine for a few games, Harrison was the first guy off the bench against the Hokies and — unlike in previous games — he made a solid contribution. His length and athleticism wreaked havoc at the top of the Cougars' 2-3 zone, and he even knocked down his first deep ball since the Cretaceous Period. Glad to see Damarcus back in the mix.
	Anson Winder, SG 1-3 FG | 0-1 3PT | 1-2 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 3 PTS A quietly excellent night for Winder. His pressure defense took Tech's guards by surprise, resulting in 3 steals for Anson and a lot of discomfort for Erick Green and friends. Cougar fans would have been spared a bit of exasperation if Winder had made both free throws in the closing seconds, but it ultimately didn't make a difference. A win is a win, and Anson played an important role in this one.