BYU pulls away for 96-55 win over UE men
Aces back in action on December 16
PROVO, Utah – Following a close game in the first 18 minutes of action, BYU closed the first half on a 12-0 run and never looked back, defeating the University of Evansville men’s basketball team by a final score of 96-55 on Tuesday evening inside the Marriott Center.
Yacine Toumi led the way for the Purple Aces with 13 points while Antonio Thomas recorded 10. Five Cougars reached double digits, led by Jaxson Robinson’s 19 points. Trevin Knell scored 13.
Throughout the opening moments, the Purple Aces played toe-to-toe with the Cougars. After BYU hit a triple in its first possession, the Aces got on the board on a Cam Haffner layup. Just over two minutes in, Yacine Toumi capped a 3-for-3 start by UE, converting a basket to give the Aces a 6-5 edge.
Over the first five minutes, the squads swapped the lead five times as Toumi’s second field goal put Evansville up by a 10-9 score. Over the next five minutes, the Cougars embarked on a 17-0 stretch to open a 26-10 lead near the midway point of the half. They connected on seven shots in a row to open the advantage. Toumi got UE back on track with another bucket, but BYU hit another triple on the ensuing trip down the floor to take a 29-12 lead.
Evansville regained its edge over the next four minutes, outscoring BYU by a 10-2 margin to get back within single digits. Antonio Thomas hit a triple with 6:24 on the clock to make it a 31-22 game. Ben Humrichous knocked down a trey at the 2:31 mark that made it a 35-25 game as UE looked to head to the break with a manageable deficit.
Unfortunately, the Cougars had other ideas. Over the final 1:47, BYU reeled off 12 in a row to take a 47-25 halftime lead. They shot 50% in the period while going 8-of-19 from outside. Jason Robinson led everyone with 14 points.
BYU continued to shoot at a frenzied pace in the second half, taking a 60-29 lead in the first five minutes of the period and would continue their dominant form in the second half. Their highest advantage came at 85-38 with 7:31 remaining. Evansville closed slightly in the final minutes, finishing with the 96-55 decision.
For the game, BYU shot 52.9% while the Aces shot 33.3%. The outside shooting of the Cougars was off the charts as they knocked down 14 triples in 32 attempts.
Following a busy few weeks, the Aces will have an 11-day break before returning to action on Dec. 16 at Bellarmine.
