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BYU's Mawot Mog (left) defends West Virginia's Javon Small in a Big 12 men's basketball game in Morgantown, W.V., on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Dawson Baker (25) and Mahailo Boskovic defend against West Virginia in a Big 12 men's basketball game in Morgantown, W.V., on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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There are sequences in a college basketball game that are barely noted in the box score but have a profound effect on the outcome.

Such a sequence occurred late in the second half of BYU’s 73-69 victory at West Virginia on Tuesday.

With 6:33 to play, the Mountaineers held a 62-56 lead and looked to have all the momentum.

Then things happened.

• BYU freshman Egor Demin switched hands on a drive and scored, converting the free throw after he was fouled to cut the West Virginia lead in half at the 6:11 mark.

• Cougar guard Mawot Mag spent most of the game guarding Javon Small, the Big 12’s leading scorer. As he had most of the game, Mag got right up in Small’s business from end line to end line, all 94 feet. This time, Mag harassed Small enough to cause a turnover in backcourt and passed the ball ahead to Richie Saunders, who was fouled and made one of two free throws to cut the deficit to two, 62-60, with 6:01 remaining.

• On West Virginia’s next possession, Small grew so frustrated with Mag’s in-your-grill defense that he committed an offensive foul.

• On the other end, Mihailo Boskovic drained a 3-pointer for a 63-62 Cougar lead and Demin added a driving layup a moment late for a 65-62 led with 4:45 to play.

That roughly two minutes of game time was a perfect example of the dogged determination and toughness displayed by BYU in a big road win.

Small, who was averaging nearly 19 points per game, shot just four times (only once in the second half) and was held to nine points, though he did total nine assists.

“That was a big part of the plan (to make him go left),” BYU head coach Kevin Young said. “He’s one of the guys that I’m really impressed with in this league. So we put a ton of time and energy in trying to study his game. Coach (Darian DeVries) does a great job of getting him in positions to score and so forth.

“I think the credit just goes to Mag and Trey Stewart, along with the rest of our guys behind them. That’s something we talked about a lot, was he’s a tough cover one-on-one, so we wanted to try to defend him with more than just one guy, as much as you put into that.”

Stewart also added eight points to his excellent defensive performance.

“You practice how you play, and you want to bring that same mentality and that same energy that you brought to practice,” Stewart said. “We can’t be getting backed down. We can’t have people calling us soft, because at the end of the day, our guys work their butts off in practice. So we’ve just got to bring that out. And he (Young) always says we’ve got to bring it out when it matters the most.”

Scouting Report

After a long Eastern road trip, BYU gets to come back home for two games at the Marriott Center.

That’s the good news.

The not-so-good news is that Saturday’s opponent, Kansas State, is the hottest team in the Big 12 and has won six straight games, four against ranked opponents.

The Wildcats latest victim was No. 13 Arizona, a 73-70 victory in Manhattan. The Cougars lost to the “other” Wildcats 85-74 in Provo on Feb. 4.

On Jan. 2, Kansas State lost its sixth straight game, a 70-62 setback at Baylor. Since then, the Wildcats have been nothing short of spectacular. Four KSU players average double figures, led by 6-foot-9 senior forward David N’Guessan (13.1 points, 65% field goals), 6-4 Villanova transfer Brendan Hausen (11.8), 6-10 Illinois transfer Coleman Hawkins (11.0) and 5-11 Michigan transfer Dug McDaniel (11.0). Fullerton State transfer Max Jones averages 9.8 points per game.

Hawkins fills up the box score for the Wildcats, also averaging 6.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and two steals per game. McDaniel, who scored 24 points in the win against Arizona, has been a catalyst during the winning streak (15.2 points and 6.6 assists per game).

“Since the turnaround, we’ve made an emphasis on playing more aggressive,” McDaniel said. “Maybe if we don’t get the steals, we get the deflections. Just be the more aggressive team. The most aggressive team is always going to win each night. We try to set the tone. We hit first. They’re going to counterpunch, but we’re not going to fall. We’re going to bounce back.”

Wildcats coach Jerome Tang said his club just needed time.

“”Over the course of time the staff did an unbelievable job connecting with our guys’ hearts and our guys did an unbelievable job opening their hearts and minds to what we needed to improve on, and we did a really good job listening to them,” he said. “They had some thoughts that were very, very valuable.”

Preseason Big 12 favorite Kansas, ranked No. 17 in this week’s Associated Press poll, makes its first trip to Provo since 1960 on Tuesday.

The Cougars are 11-2 in the Marriott Center this season, with losses to No. 12 Texas Tech and No. 13 Arizona.

“I think it’s really important to be able to learn from wins and losses, and then be able to turn the page,” Young said. “That’s one thing I learned in the NBA, times ten. You don’t have time to sulk and feel bad about a game because you got one the next day. And that’s kind of the mentality I’ve tried to bring to this club.”

Men’s College Basketball

Kansas State (13-11, 7-6 Big 12) at BYU (16-8, 7-6 Big 12)

Saturday, 7 p.m. MT

Marriott Center in Provo

TV/Streaming: ESPN+

Radio: KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM, BYU Radio

Live stats: byucougars.com

The Word: This is the 10th overall meeting between BYU and Kansas State, with the Wildcats holding a 5-4 edge in the series. … The Cougars beat KSU 72-66 last season in Provo but lost 84-74 in Manhattan. … The Wildcats have won six straight games with victories over four teams ranked at the time: No. 23 West Virginia, No. 3 Iowa State, No. 16 Kansas and No. 13 Arizona.