SALT LAKE CITY – Once an individual scoring show with Alex Barcello, BYU basketball continued to find other options on Thursday night.
This time it was Caleb Lohner’s turn.
The Wasatch Academy rookie scored 19 career points, including five triples, to go along with nine rebounds in 28 minutes, when BYU won 80-52 at Pacific in the Cougars’ first game in nearly two weeks on Thursday night at Alex G. Spanos Center in Stockton, California.
In a 10-day vacation without games, Barcello added 15 points, five assists and three steals for BYU, and Brandon Averette scored 8 of his 10 points in the second half to go along with seven assists and three recoveries. Trevin Knell contributed 15 points, including four 3, off the bench for the Cougars (16-5, 7-3 WCC).
“It’s exactly what I imagined,” Lohner told BYU Radio. “In the last 10 days we haven’t played, we’ve worked so hard. I think a lot of teams in the country don’t train as hard … but I think we really took advantage of that moment. We realized what we needed to do to get better, and I think we showed that we’ve improved tonight. “
Matt Haarms provided 8 points and seven rebounds for BYU, who made 13 triples and beat the Tigers 31-22.
However, no one warmed up except Lohner.
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“I felt good, from the first to the second, I progressed with increasing confidence,” Lohner said. “I shot the ball well and knocked it down all night.
“I just think we’re getting better and better. We’re working hard and finding ways to improve. I’m very proud of the way our team is joining and constantly improving.”
Broc Finstuen had 12 points and two rebounds to lead the Pacific, and Jordan Bell added 5 points and seven rebounds for the Tigers (6-7, 3-6 WCC) just three weeks after taking BYU to double overtime in Provo .
Instead, after a No. 1 loss to Gonzaga in their last outing, the Cougars have never lost a game in a row in head coach Mark Pope’s second season.
“It’s included in the culture of how our boys react,” Pope told BYU radio. “We wonder that after every game … and the fact that they think about it all the time and focus there, it’s a tribute to the boys. We have a really special group of boys.”
Lohner, who started Thursday night, saw a big explosion of touches when Gideon George was forced to walk on the bench with early mistakes, and the Texas native used it well. Lohner had 8 points, four rebounds and an assist in just seven minutes, while the Cougars jumped 18-13, with 9:55 left in the half.
BYU has never withdrawn.
Knell finished a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer with 7:26 left, which lifted the Cougars to a 26-19 lead. Spencer Johnson extended the lead to two figures just under three minutes later, and BYU took a 38-26 lead.
BYU made three of its first six 3-point attempts to open the half, including triple-backs by Barcello and Averette, to go 8-0 in 90 seconds to a 50-33 lead .
There are two so far @caleblohner 😎#BYUhoops X # MACU3pic.twitter.com/1OUqzRfClH
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He didn’t stop here.
Lohner drilled his third 3 points of the game with 12:55 remaining, pushing the Cougars 55-35 to just three weeks away from a 7-point victory, with a double overtime in Provo over the Tigers. Moments later, Wasatch Academy, just outside of Dallas, made the fourth triple to complete a 16-2 run – and BYU never looked back.
His only goal from inside the arc was an alley-oop in transition, where Lohner showed his hops and helped the Cougars take the lead at the break.
“We always see his athleticism,” Pope said. “He came with some incredible offensive recoveries … and certainly alley-oop was incredible.
“But the best thing he did tonight was his defensive performance. Caleb was fundamentally healthy all night defensively, and that’s not easy. He did such a good job.”
On a night that brought good news for two BYU basketball teams – the women’s team upset No. 16 Gonzaga, 61-56 in Provo – the Cougars looked like an NCAA tournament from many angles.
BYU shot 13 of 27 from 3 points, 13 from 27 from 2 points and assisted 17 of 26 field goals. The Cougars also held the Tigers 40 percent in the second half, including 0 for 7 deep.
“I thought Trevin was great tonight,” Pope said. “He came into rotation earlier because of Gideon’s wrong problems, but I love Trevin when he comes with a chip on his shoulder. Then it’s the best time.”