Report Card: Gonzaga 74, BYU 63

Brigham Young Cougars

63

Final

74

Gonzaga Bulldogs

STARTERS

	Matt Carlino, PG 7-23 FG | 3-9 3PT | 1-3 FT | 2 REB | 3 AST | 18 PTS Carlino is definitely a freshman — and that comes with its ebbs and flows. Matt carried BYU through a dismal first half offensively. However, he also forced bad shots down the stretch when he should have been feeding the red-hot Davies. Those costly mistakes may have snuffed out any possibility of a comeback, but BYU likely wouldn't have been in the game in the first place without Carlino's efforts.
	Anson Winder, SG 2-5 FG | 1-3 3PT | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 5 PTS Anson didn't light the world on fire tonight, but he was solid. He played great defense and didn't turn the ball over, which is more than we can say for some people. (coughZylstracough) Winder was inexplicably nonexistent for much of the second half before Rose reinserted him in the closing minutes — where he promptly scored five points. There is a lesson in here somewhere...
	Charles Abouo, SF 4-13 FG | 1-4 3PT | 1-3 FT | 10 REB | 0 AST | 10 PTS Abouo is often simultaneously maddening and essential. He is capable of doing some of the dumbest things imaginable — and he does them frequently — but then turning around to get a key steal or grab a big rebound the next time down the floor. He made a few too many dumb mistakes tonight, but at least he rebounded and defended well. Say what you will about him, but Charles always plays hard.
	Noah Hartsock, PF 0-0 FG | 0-0 3PT | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 0 PTS A sad night. No other way to put it. Courageously, Noah tried to gut it out despite playing with what looked like an artificial leg. He only lasted 7 minutes. It was abundantly clear that he just couldn't move well and was in a state of perpetual discomfort. He couldn't be effective, and the team suffered mightily as a result. Cougar fans need to hope against hope that Hartsock's sprain heals, like, now.
	Brandon Davies, C 8-18 FG | 0-0 3PT | 7-10 FT | 10 REB | 1 AST | 23 PTS After a spotty first half, Davies really turned on the jets in the second and dominated Gonzaga in the paint. As BYU made their final run down the stretch, Brandon stepped up to the plate and took over the game. It was a true "leadership moment." Of course, the guards stopped passing him the ball shortly thereafter, but we won't dwell on that. Davies was huge. (Also, he had 6 steals. Six!)

BENCH

	Nate Austin, C 2-5 FG | 0-2 3PT | 0-0 FT | 10 REB | 2 AST | 4 PTS With Hartsock out of commission, Rose needed a huge game from Austin down low — and the big guy definitely delivered. Obviously Nate wasn't going to be able to replace Noah's offensive firepower, but he did everything else: devoured rebounds, altered shots, took charges, and just hustled. On a night like tonight, against a big, strong team like the Zags, that was exactly what BYU needed.
	Craig Cusick, PG 1-5 FG | 1-5 3PT | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 3 PTS Cusick didn't get many minutes in this one, and it felt like he probably deserved a few more. When BYU was rattled and out of its depth in the first half, Craig's maturity and patience could have been an ideal fit on the floor. He never really got that chance, probably because the Cougars were so dependent on Carlino's scoring. As a side note, he managed to jack up 5 threes in 13 minutes. Very un-Craig.
	Damarcus Harrison, SG 0-2 FG | 0-0 3PT | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 PTS It's been a tough year for Damarcus. He arrived in Provo with a ton of hype and fanfare, and his freshman season has left most observers underwhelmed. On a night where BYU struggled from outside, it would have been great to see Harrison use his superior athleticism to attack the rim. Instead, he rushed two contested jumpers. There's plenty of talent here, but lots of work to do this summer.
	Stephen Rogers, SF 0-1 FG | 0-1 3PT | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 PTS Rogers finally resurfaced tonight, albeit briefly, after an extended absence. He seemed to be moving much better than during his previous attempted comeback, but it wasn't long before he was back in his familiar spot on the bench, never to move again. If Rogers can get fully healthy, it sure would be nice to have another perimeter shooter in the postseason — but that "if" continues to loom large.
	Josh Sharp, PF 0-1 FG | 0-0 3PT | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 0 PTS Let's be clear: Josh Sharp is not very good — at least not yet. He may turn into a great player down the road but, for now, he's not a world-beater. Nevertheless, Sharp got (relatively) big minutes tonight in Rose's jerry-rigged rotation and he made the most of them. It may not have been pretty, but Josh busted his butt on every single play. He was the definition of hustle. It was kind of awesome.
	Brock Zylstra, SG 0-5 FG | 0-4 3PT | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 PTS Where to begin? I don't want to be too harsh, but my goodness, Zylstra was terrible in Spokane. And not just his usual "he doesn't show up in big games" act. Brock didn't muddle through this one — he was actively terrible. It's hard to overstate just how bad he was, particularly down the stretch. Based on recent performance, those minutes should have gone to Anson Winder. It would have saved us all some pain.