SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Yoeli Childs scored 31 points and collected 11 rebounds to lead BYU to a 74-59 victory over Utah on Saturday.
T.J. Haws added 18 points and six rebounds, while Zac Seljaas chipped in 14 points, six rebounds and five steals for the Cougars. BYU (7-4) beat the Utes for the second straight season.
Sedrick Barefield scored 16 points and Timmy Allen added 13 for the Utes. Utah (4-4) lost after shooting just 36.5 percent from the field.
Childs didn’t waste any time ripping apart Utah’s defense. He connected on his first five field-goal attempts to give BYU’s offense a quick spark. The junior forward accounted for his team’s first 12 points.
Seljaas followed Childs’ opening barrage with back-to-back baskets and a pair of free throws to put the Cougars up 19-14 midway through the first half.
A cold-shooting spell opened the door for Utah to stay within striking distance throughout the first half. BYU missed eight consecutive baskets and went 6:39 without a field goal before T.J. Haws finally ended the drought with a 3-pointer. The Utes answered with an 8-0 run during that stretch and took a 22-19 lead on back-to-back 3-pointers from Barefield and Riley Battin.
BYU went back in front 27-22 on Haws’ 3-pointer off the dribble and another outside basket from Connor Harding on the team’s subsequent possession. That set the stage for the Cougars to build a comfortable second-half lead.
Childs scored three baskets, highlighted by his first 3-pointer of the game, to fuel a 13-0 run that gave BYU a 45-28 lead with 14:17 left in the second half. Utah missed seven straight shots to open the half before Donnie Tillman and Both Gach scored back-to-back baskets to break the ice.
Utah closed the gap to 54-46 on back-to-back baskets from Barefield. BYU slammed the door on a comeback by answering with seven straight baskets. Haws fueled the barrage with three baskets. His final jumper gave BYU a 72-52 lead.
THE BIG PICTURE
BYU: The Cougars looked like a new team against their in-state rivals. Childs dominated on both ends of the court and BYU was active in getting to loose balls and cleaning the glass. The Cougars have a chance to build some real momentum before WCC play.
Utah: It ended up being the same old story for the Utes. Utah couldn’t knock down shots for long stretches and had no answer for many of BYU’s key playmakers. The Utes need to find some consistent options on offense before the entire season gets away from them.
UP NEXT
BYU: The Cougars host Portland State on Wednesday
Utah: The Utes visit ninth-ranked Kentucky on Saturday
