Fredette scores 26 to lead No. 13 BYU past San Diego State 82-68
By APWednesday, February 24, 2010
Fredette leads No. 13 BYU past San Diego State
PROVO, Utah — Jimmer Fredette scored 26 points and Jackson Emery added 18 as No. 13 BYU beat San Diego State 82-68 on Wednesday night to move within a half-game of first place in the Mountain West Conference.
The Cougars (26-3, 11-2 MWC) host No. 10 New Mexico on Saturday, with the winner taking the conference lead into the season’s final week.
Fredette and Emery scored three points each in a balanced 14-2 run by the Cougars midway through the second half to break open a tight game and send BYU to its 21st straight victory at home in front of a sellout crowd.
D.J. Gay scored 15 points to lead San Diego State (20-8, 9-5 MWC). The Aztecs entered with a four-game winning streak and a chance to move into a second-place tie with the Cougars.
Emery had seven rebounds and Fredette grabbed six to help the Cougars outwork the conference’s best rebounding team, 38-37.
The nation’s top free-throw shooting team, BYU made 21 of 28 free throws. Fredette, who was shooting 90 percent from the line, missed five free throws. But he hit four of eight 3-pointers after being named a Naismith Trophy nominee earlier in the day.
The Cougars made 7 of 15 3-pointers.
The conference’s leading rebounder, Kawhi Leonard, played just 24 minutes for the Aztecs because of illness. Leonard scored three points and grabbed five rebounds, five below his average.
The game went back and forth in the first half. After 11 lead changes, Malcolm Thomas made two free throws to tie the score at 25.
BYU then went on an 11-0 run, led by seven points by Emery.
San Diego State came back to tie the score at 44, but Jonathan Tavernari converted in the lane and Emery hit a 3-pointer to start the 14-2 run.
