Collin Chandler scored a game-high 19 points to lead BYU to a 72-61 exhibition victory over Nebraska on Friday, Oct. 16. The win, achieved in front of 15,864 fans at the Marriott Center, was fueled by a 19-10 scoring run to open the second half.
The Cougars overcame a slow first half, during which they shot only 3-for-19 from three-point range, by hitting five three-pointers in the opening minutes of the second half. This surge allowed BYU to reclaim and maintain a lead they did not relinquish for the remainder of the game.
Chandler was one of four Cougars to reach double figures. The junior shot 6-of-13 from the field, 2-of-7 from three, and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. Other double-digit scorers included Robert Wright, who finished with 17 points and seven assists, and Bruce Branch III, who recorded 15 points, six rebounds, and five assists in his unofficial collegiate debut.
Jaxson Kohler, an American Fork native, recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. All of Kohler's points were scored in the second half after he picked up two fouls during the first 20 minutes of play.
Head coach Kevin Young stated that the team intends to be a high-volume three-point shooting team. Young noted that the second half showed the team's ability to move the ball, citing 12 assists in the second half alone as a sign of the group's identity.
BYU's performance included shooting 41.3 percent from the field, 27.8 percent from three, and 58.8 percent from the free-throw line. The Cougars also turned 18 Nebraska turnovers into 21 points and held a 30-18 advantage in the paint, avenging a previous exhibition loss to the Cornhuskers in Lincoln, Neb.
BYU is scheduled to visit UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct. 24, to conclude exhibition play. The game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. MDT.
