BYU’s hopes dashed

Steve Addy

Friday, March 16, 2001 | 10:55 a.m.

SAN DIEGO -- BYU came in with high hopes and a hot streak.

But the Cougars quickly discovered that everything else was in Cincinnati's favor in their NCAA West Regional opener Thursday night.

Experience over wide-eyed optimism. Athletic depth over a three-man operation. The fast feet of guards Steve Logan and Kenny Satterfield over the hesitation of Terrell Lyday and Trent Whiting.

Fifth-seeded Cincy exploited each of its advantages in a 84-59 rout of 12th-seeded BYU, quickly eliminating the Mountain West champs with convincing efficiency before 10,974 fans at Cox Arena.

Oh, the Cougars stayed in the game for a while, hanging within 35-30 at halftime, but they were only stalling for time, hoping to get all-MWC first-teamers Mekeli Wesley and Lyday out of neutral.

But even though Wesley finished with 25 points on 8-of-15 shooting, he was hounded by double-teams and had to scrap for every point, while Lyday was mostly ineffective in a 12-point night. With their stars struggling, the Cougars really had no chance.

"I think we were excited about being here, and we had a lot of energy," coach Steve Cleveland said. "But we're a ball club that just played its seventh game in a row on the road. I suspect that manifested itself tonight and took a toll.

"But give credit to Cincinnati. They pretty much dictated the tempo of the game."

In the second half, BYU could hold on no longer. Cincinnati began the half with a 24-9 run in a span of 7:49 to take a 59-39 lead. Logan, who led the Bearcats with 21 points, scored all 11 of his second-half points in the spurt, including three long, demoralizing 3-pointers.

After that, the only question was whether BYU would lose by the widest margin of the four first-round games here. The Cougars avoided that distinction, because 16th-seeded UNC-Greensboro lost to Stanford by 29, but it was small consolation.

BYU, which had won its previous five games, all on the road, wasn't able to continue its streak and finished with a 24-9 record, the MWC tournament title and a one-third share of the regular-season championship.

Logan's explosion was the back-breaker that ended the Cougars' season.

"He was hitting shots that people usually don't make," Lyday said. "He was four steps behind the (3-point line) and making them like it was nothing. That was hard to come back from."

Cincinnati shot 53 percent overall and 58 percent on 3-pointers, making 11-of-19. It's the most triples BYU has allowed all season.

"(Cincinnati) is already an athletic team, but when they shoot like that, we don't have enough depth, size or athleticism to compete with that," Cleveland conceded. "They were outstanding, and we didn't have our best game tonight."

Lyday, in particular, struggled. He picked up two fouls in the first seven minutes and couldn't find a rhythm. He shot 5-of-11, but committed four turnovers and never hinted at taking over.

"I just couldn't get open," said Lyday, who averaged 23 points in the MWC tournament. "Every time I came off a screen, (Cincinnati) switched it and had somebody right there. I couldn't get any breathing room."

Cleveland said, "(Lyday) did not have one of his better evenings, no question. You can't win a ball game of this type, in this setting, if your best players don't play well."

Wesley spent most of the game fighting through double-teams to get near the rim or just to get rid of the ball. He had four turnovers, and even after Cincy began defending him straight-up, his timing seemed shaken.

"It was a pretty hard double-team they were putting on," said Wesley, MWC player of the year. "It was frustrating to pass out of it. I could see guys open, but the defenders had their arms up and I couldn't make the pass. It made me play a bit tentative."

But he wasn't alone. The Cougars simply didn't shoot well, making only 40 percent (21-of-52).

Cincinnati, which gave coach Bob Huggins his 300th win at the school, will meet Kent State in Saturday's second round.