Tavernari gets 19 points, No. 17 BYU cruises past Air Force 91-48
By APSaturday, February 13, 2010
No. 17 BYU cruises past Air Force
PROVO, Utah — Senior forward Jonathan Tavernari came off the bench to score a season-high 19 points and Jackson Emery added 18 to lead No. 17 BYU to a 91-48 victory over Air Force on Saturday.
Tavernari hit five consecutive 3-pointers and scored 17 points during a decisive 28-5 run midway through the first half.
The win was the 20th straight at home for BYU (23-3, 8-2) and it moved the Cougars into a first-place tie in the Mountain West Conference with No. 15 New Mexico.
Mike Fitzgerald scored 13 points to lead Air Force (9-15, 1-10), which lost its 10th straight to BYU and the 15th in a row on the road in conference play.
Tavernari, BYU’s all-time leader in 3-pointers, has been known for instant offense throughout his career, but coach Dave Rose sent him to the bench after he began the season in a brutal shooting slump.
Tavernari scored 12 points in 124 seconds during the Cougars’ big first-half run, nailing four straight 3s. After teammate Noah Hartsock made a layup, Tavernari added the fifth 3-pointer to give BYU a 32-12 lead.
