Recap: Gonzaga 83, BYU 63

Photo Credit: AP

*** First and foremost, my apologies for the brief service interruption. I was out of the country for a family funeral and was unable to recap either the Saint Mary's or San Diego games — although considering the outcome of the latter, that may have been for the best. ***

To be honest, that was pretty much what I expected to happen. Not what I hoped for, but pretty much what I expected.

BYU rode a dismal first-half effort to a 19-point halftime deficit from which they never recovered, falling to No. 10 Gonzaga before a raucous crowd at The Kennel, 83-63. Kelly Olynyk didn't miss a single shot all night, pacing the Bulldogs with 26 points on 9-for-9 shooting and 8-for-8 from the stripe.

But while the final result wasn't too far outside my expectations, the way we got there was a bit of a surprise. Gonzaga dominated the game from the opening tip, particularly on the defensive end. BYU simply couldn't figure out how to solve the Zags' tough, physical defense and looked completely out of sorts in the opening frame.

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!)

Report Card: BYU 83, Gonzaga 73

Brigham Young Cougars

83

Final

73

Gonzaga Bulldogs

STARTERS

	Matt Carlino, PG 7-13 FG | 1-2 3PT | 3-4 FT | 0 REB | 5 AST | 18 PTS This was Carlino's best game, hands down. This is the kind of game Rose wants him to play every time out. He was a floor general on offense and he pushed (or, more accurately, sprinted) the ball up the floor on every possession, which created scoring opportunities for himself and others. In a head-to-head with Gonzaga's celebrated freshman Kevin Pangos, Carlino won this round.
	Anson Winder, SG 4-8 FG | 1-4 3PT | 1-2 FT | 4 REB | 5 AST | 10 PTS This was the surprise move of the night, with Winder getting the start over Zylstra. Anson responded with a very solid effort. Though he looked a little sloppy handling the ball at times, he still put together a solid 10-4-5 game (somehow with no turnovers!), in addition to his invaluable lock-down defense. Here's to hoping he's rewarded with more opportunities in the future.
	Charles Abouo, SF 1-4 FG | 0-1 3PT | 2-2 FT | 1 REB | 1 AST | 2 PTS This was a tough one for Charles, mostly because he picked up a few quick fouls at the hands of the whistle-happy WCC refs and was taken out of the game — both figuratively and literally —from the very beginning. He never really got into rhythm on offense, but his defensive hounding of Pangos (at least when Abouo wasn't on the bench) was critical in keeping the freshman under-wraps.
	Noah Hartsock, PF 10-19 FG | 0-0 3PT | 4-5 FT | 14 REB | 3 AST | 24 PTS Noah may not look like much, but man is he good. After all the talk about which team had the superior post play, Hartsock answered the question emphatically tonight. After a tough shooting start, he heated up at the beginning of the second half and never looked back, leaving a pile of Zags along the way. A great performance from a great player in a huge game. What more can you ask?
	Brandon Davies, C 7-12 FG | 0-0 3PT | 1-3 FT | 5 REB | 1 AST | 15 PTS Davies also struggled with foul trouble throughout the game, but he made the most of his time on the floor. When he did get post touches, Brandon absolutely abused the Zags' Robert Sacre. He made him look downright silly, while also picking up his typical 2-3 charges for the night. A strong performance, especially considering the foul situation. Now if we could just figure out how to limit his turnovers...

Three-Man Weave: It's Do-Or-Don't-Dance Time for BYU

With the stretch run of WCC play officially upon us and the Cougars now facing the make-or-break portion of their schedule, it seems as good a time as any to start up a new feature — the Three-Man Weave. Each week, three commentators from throughout Cougar Nation will offer their opinions and analysis on three BYU basketball-related issues for your reading pleasure.

For the maiden voyage, I am fortunate to be joined by Zach Bloxham, editor of SB Nation's excellent Vanquish the Foe blog, and Ben Wagner, a sports producer for BYU Radio and Post-Jimmer contributor. I greatly appreciate their willingness to participate and, for lack of a better term, "help a brother out" by taking part in this inaugural Weave.

Now, without further ado...