BYU hopes to cap homestand on high note vs. MVSU

BYU will try to add to its undefeated start to the season Saturday night when it concludes a five-game homestand against Mississippi Valley State in Provo, Utah.

The Cougars (4-0) won their first four games at the Marriott Center by an average of 28 points. Most recently, BYU earned a 95-71 come-from-behind win over Idaho on Nov. 16.

The Delta Devils (1-4) are in the midst of a six-game trip that will include a three-game stretch against Big 12 teams -- Kansas State, BYU and Utah.

Arthur Tate scored 16 and Antonio Sisk netted 15 points in Mississippi Valley State's 74-56 loss at Kansas State on Tuesday. The Delta Devils come into the Saturday matchup having lost three consecutive games, including losses at Missouri and Texas.

BYU has enjoyed a week off since upending Idaho after a slow start. The Vandals hit five of their first six 3-point attempts and led by as many as seven points in the first half. The Cougars rallied to take a 41-38 halftime lead and then outscored Idaho by 21 points in the second half for the blowout victory.

"I thought it was good for our guys to have to go through a game that was closer than the score indicated," BYU coach Kevin Young said. "I was happy with our execution down the stretch. I thought we ran some timely offense."

Fousseyni Traore and Richie Saunders led the way for BYU, which is only a few spots outside the Top 25 rankings.

Traore amassed a career-high 29 points, shooting 11 of 12 from the floor and 7 of 7 from the free-throw line, and grabbed nine rebounds. Saunders added a career-high 26 points with four steals and three blocks.

Freshman phenom Egor Demin amassed 16 points, seven assists, three blocks and three steals to help BYU open the season with four straight victories for the second straight season. The Cougars began 8-0 in 2023-24.

--Field Level Media