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BYU's Jaxson Robinson is helped to his feet by teammates after making a 3-pointer while being fouled in a men's college basketball game against Evansville at the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Aly Khalifa reacts to a score during a men's college basketball game against Evansville at the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Richie Saunders takes a shot in a men's college basketball game against Evansville at the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Dallin Hall dribbles the ball in a men's college basketball game against Evansville at the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Noah Waterman throws down a dunk in a men's college basketball game against Evansville at the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Jaxson Robinson drives to the basket against Evansville in a men's college basketball game at the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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If there’s one thing the BYU men’s basketball team has done well so far this season, it’s beating lesser opponents like they stole something.

The Cougars’ margin of victory in seven wins was 31 points per game coming into Tuesday’s first-ever matchup with Evansville, and the beatings continued in a 96-55 thrashing in front of 13,291 fans at the Marriott Center.

Using all of your fingers and toes to count multiple times, that amounts to a 41-point victory.

Most teams — even ranked ones like No. 14 BYU — have games where pulling away from an opponent is a grind, but the Cougars have been able to avoid trap games so far this season.

Jaxson Robinson led five double-digit scorers for the Cougars with 19 points. Trevin Knell had 13, Noah Waterman 12, Atiki Ally Atiki 11 and Dallin Hall 10 for BYU, which made 14 of 32 (44%) from the 3-point line and 36 of 68 (53%) from the field with 26 assists. Richie Saunders added nine points and seven rebounds and Hall contributed seven rebounds and six assists.

“I think it’s just how much we trust each other,” Knell said. “Coach Pope came into our huddle (during a time out). He goes, “Hey, let’s get in transition.’ It’s fun, right? And so the fun aspect is there, but then it’s also like Jackson Robinson. He’ll come up to me and he he talks to me about ways that I can get open. So there’s mutual trust that just goes on. And after every dead ball, we bring everybody together to talk about what we need to do.”

Evansville, off to a 7-1 start this season after winning just five games last year and averaging better than 85 points per contest, was led by Yacine Toumi with 13 points. Former American Fork and SLCC standout Tanner Cuff played 20 minutes and tallied two points, four rebounds and two assists.

Hall personally directed a 15-0 run for the Cougars in the first half, scoring five points and assisting on four other baskets as BYU took a 24-10 lead with 11:04 to play. Aly Khalifa dropped in a 3-pointer and scored seven early points for BYU. A basket from Robinson ended the run at 16-0 for a Cougar 26-10.

Evansville closed to within nine, 31-22, on a 3-pointer by Antonio Thomas but over the final six minutes of the half BYU went on a 16-3 tear. Robinson scored eight points in the blitz, making a long 3-pointer with a defender in his face and converting a four-point play moments later. In a repeat of the end of the first half against Fresno State on Monday, Khalifa dropped a dime out of the high post to a teammate (this time Waterman) for a layup to beat the buzzer and BYU held a commanding 47-25 lead at the break.

Robinson scored 14 points off the bench on 5 of 8 shooting (3 of 5 from the 3-point line). Khalifa and Waterman both had seven points and Knell six. Hall had six rebounds and six assists to go along with his five points as BYU shot 50% (19 of 38) from the field and 8 of 19 (42%) from distance

Thomas led Evansville with eight points but the Purple Aces struggled shooting the ball, making just 11 of 34 (32%) from the field and 17% (3 of 18) from beyond the arc.

BYU opened the second half on a 13-4 run, Waterman knocking down a 3-pointer and Spencer Johnson contributing six points, for a 60-29 lead at the 16:16 mark. Bombs from Knell and Hall pushed the Cougars advantage to 35 points, 66-31, with 13:38 to play.

Trey Stewart fed Atiki for two baskets in the paint and then passed to Robinson for a triple, igniting a 16-0 run for a 47-point lead, 85-38, with 7:18 remaining.

BYU (8-0) travels north up I-15 to the Huntsman Center to play the University of Utah on Saturday at 5 p.m. MT. The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.

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