Courtesy BYU Photo

Just two games ago, BYU was a woeful 3 of 20 (15%) from the 3-point line in a loss to Butler at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.

Let’s just say the Cougars are shooting on target again.

BYU made 13 3’s in a comeback win against Dayton last Friday and on Monday at Vivint Arena, the Cougars connected on 13 more — in the first half — against Westminster.

The final count was a school record of 19, with BYU starting hot and not cooling off until late in a 100-70 bashing of the Griffins in Salt Lake City on Tuesday.

“Westminster made a calculated decision to just give us shots and hope we miss,” BYU head coach Mark Pope said. “It was a strategic decision that makes sense, but guys just stepped up and made them. We did a good job finding good shots for each other. We love playing in this gym and it’s special to be able to play here. It’s fun because some of our Salt Lake fans get to drive here and walk across the street to watch us. It’s such a special venue and means so much to the state of Utah. We love coming here and playing a couple of times a year.”

Freshman Tanner Toolson got point No. 100 on a free throw with 29.6 seconds to play, but the 3-point shooting was the real story. BYU shot 72% from the arc in the first half and finished 19 of 37 (51.4%). Jaxson Robinson was 5 of 8 to lead the 3-point barrage. Noah Waterman, Dallin Hall and Toolson had three triples each, Rudi Williams and Gideon George had two each and Richie Saunders made one.

“I’m feeling really good,” Waterman said. “This is an NBA floor. The rims are a little different I think but we were getting all the rolls so I like it here. At the beginning of the season I was a little nervous with all the fans and everything but I’m starting to find my role.”

Five Cougars scored in double figures, led by Robinson and George with 15 each. Williams had 14 points and five assists, Waterman scored 13 and Toolson 10. BYU scored 34 points off 22 Westminster turnovers and notched 14 steals, with Robinson, Williams and Trey Stewart earning three each.

BYU turned the ball over a season-low 10 times.

Former Cougar Taylor Miller led Westminster with 16 points and Pierce Sterling had 14.

Waterman got BYU off to a hot start by making a pair of 3-pointers and scoring 10 points in the first five minutes, leading the Cougars to an 18-4 lead. Mark Pope’s second unit was equally as sharpshooting, going on an 18-0 run with a pair of triple from Hall and five points from Saunders to make the lead 51-18 with 4:30 to play in the half.

Robinson was 5 of 5 from the arc in the first half, Waterman 3 of 3 and Williams 2 of 3 as BYU extended the run to 27-4 and cruised to a 63-26 halftime bulge.

BYU shot 71% (22 of 31) from the field and 72% (13 of 18) from the 3-point line in one of the top shooting performances in the Pope era. Robinson led the Cougars with 15 points, Waterman had 13 and Williams 12. BYU scored 21 points off 13 Westminster turnovers as well.

The 13 3-pointers was the most the Cougars have made in the first half since knocking down 14 against Chaminade at the Maui Classic in 2014, the site of Chase Fischer’s school record of 10 triples.

The only suspense in the second half was whether or not BYU would break the school record for 3-pointers. With 8:50 left in the game, Toolson made his third triple for the team’s 19th of the game, which broke the record of 18 last set in the 2020 preseason against this same Westminster program. The Cougars also had 18 3-pointers during the 2019-20 season at Loyola Marymount.

BYU played for the second straight game without starter and second-leading scorer Spencer Johnson, who is expected to miss a couple of weeks due to a lower leg injury sustained against Butler in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Since the annual “Christmas Around the World” has locked up the Marriott Center this week, BYU (5-3) will return to Vivint Arena on Saturday to play South Dakota. The game will be on BYUtv and tips at 1:30 p.m. MT.

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