Report Card: BYU 77, Pepperdine 64

Brigham Young Cougars

77

Final

64

Pepperdine Waves

STARTERS

	Matt Carlino, PG 0-4 FG | 0-1 3PT | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 2 AST | 0 PTS If Carlino was playing with the steely resolve of an experienced senior before, he's definitely looking his age now. Another really bad game for Matt, marred by immature decision-making and — as a result — decreased playing time. He took far too many ill-advised jumpers very early in the shot clock, and that just isn't going to fly on this team. At least he didn't turn the ball over.
	Brock Zylstra, SG 1-6 FG | 0-4 3PT | 3-5 FT | 7 REB | 1 AST | 5 PTS The Cougar guard line turned in another disgustingly unproductive shooting performance on Saturday, and Brockzylla (h/t Brett Hein of VTF) was part of the problem. He couldn't find his stroke yet again, but thankfully — unlike Carlino — Zylstra doesn't force bad shots when he's off. Despite his offensive struggles, Brock rebounded and defended well — and that goes a long way on a tough night.
	Charles Abouo, SF 5-8 FG | 2-4 3PT | 3-4 FT | 9 REB | 4 AST | 15 PTS A great first half for Charles, followed by a relatively quiet second. He scored the ball efficiently, hitting from all over the court, and he attacked the glass with his typical ferocity. Finishing with 15-9-4, it was just a very solid all-around performance by Abouo — exactly the kind of night BYU needs from him on a more consistent basis if they want to seriously challenge for a tournament bid.
	Noah Hartsock, PF 8-14 FG | 0-1 3PT | 4-4 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 20 PTS Noah did what Noah always does — and that means scoring 20 points like clockwork. He didn't shoot as efficiently against the Waves as he normally does, but he put his head down and went to work nonetheless. I am surprised that he only wound up with 3 rebounds though. It seems like he should be pulling down a few more at his size.
	Brandon Davies, C 7-14 FG | 0-0 3PT | 15-18 FT | 6 REB | 4 AST | 29 PTS Pure domination. That's what Brandon Davies did to Pepperdine — and generally what he has done to every WCC team this year. Nobody has been able to stop him yet, and the only way he doesn't go berserk offensively is if BYU doesn't get him enough touches. The Waves couldn't even begin to handle him — they sent #0 to the foul line 18 times. This is what a legitimate NBA prospect looks like.

BENCH

	Nate Austin, C 2-2 FG | 0-0 3PT | 1-1 FT | 5 REB | 0 AST | 4 PTS An average Nate Austin game — lots of hustle, a handful of rebounds, and a boatload of flailing limbs. Hartsock and Davies did a good job staying out of foul trouble, so Nate's minutes were somewhat reduced, but he played his butt off and made his presence felt for the 9 minutes he was on the floor. What else can you really ask of the kid?
	Craig Cusick, PG 0-0 FG | 0-0 3PT | 4-6 FT | 2 REB | 2 AST | 4 PTS Cusick was the direct beneficiary of the Carlino disaster, and he generally made the most of his extra playing time. Craig will probably never be an offensive prodigy, but he does bring a maturity and calmness to the game that the Cougars desperately needed in Malibu. He may not have filled the stat sheet, but Cusick left his mark on this one in a much more important way.