SALT LAKE CITY – Once a solo scoring show with Alex Barcello, BYU basketball continued to find other options on Thursday night.
This time, it was Caleb Lohner’s turn.
The Wasatch Academy freshman scored 19 points, his career record, including five out of 3 points, to go along with nine rebounds in 28 minutes, with BYU winning 80-52 at Pacific in the Cougars’ first game in almost two Thursday night at the Alex G. Spanos Center in Stockton, California.
Coming out of a 10-day no-game stoppage, Barcello added BYU 15 points, five assists and three steals, and Brandon Averette scored 8 of his 10 points in the second half with seven assists and three rebounds. Trevin Knell contributed 15 points, including four 3s, off the bench for the Cougars (16-5, 7-3 WCC).
“This is exactly what I imagined,” Lohner told BYU Radio. “In the last 10 days without playing, we have been working hard. I think many teams in the country are not training as hard … but I think we really took advantage of that time. We found out what we needed to do to improve, and I think we showed that we have improved tonight. “
Matt Haarms provided BYU with 8 points and seven rebounds, which scored 13 points out of 3 and overtook the Tigers 31-22.
Nobody got hotter than Lohner, however.
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“It was very good, from the first to the second, I progressed with more and more confidence,” said Lohner. “I was shooting the ball right and knocking them all night.
“I just think we are getting better and better. We are working hard and finding ways to improve. I am very proud of the way our team is coming together and improving continuously.”
Broc Finstuen had 12 points and two rebounds to lead the Pacific, and Jordan Bell added 5 points and seven rebounds for the Tigers (6-7, 3-6 WCC) just three weeks after taking BYU to double the overtime in Provo.
Instead, after a loss to No. 1 Gonzaga in their last game, the Cougars have yet to lose consecutive games in coach Mark Pope’s second season.
“It is embedded in the culture of how our boys respond,” Pope told BYU Radio. “We wondered that after each game … and the fact that they think about it all the time and that’s where their focus is, is a tribute to the guys. We have a very special group of guys.”
Lohner, who started on Thursday night, saw a huge explosion of touches when Gideon George was forced to go to the bank with initial problems, and the Texas native made good use of them. Lohner had 8 points, four rebounds and an assist in just seven minutes, with the Cougars jumping to an 18-13 lead with 9:55 remaining at the break.
BYU never lost control again.
Knell crowned a 7-0 run with a 3-point basket with 7:26 remaining, which lifted the Cougars to a 26-19 lead. Spencer Johnson extended the lead to double digits, just under three minutes later, and BYU had a 38-26 lead in the break.
BYU made three of his first six 3-point attempts to open the interval, including consecutive triples from Barcello and Averette, to close an 8-0 run in 90 seconds for a 50-33 lead.
There are two so far @caleblohner 😎#BYUhoops x # MACU3pic.twitter.com/1OUqzRfClH
– BYU Basketball (@BYUbasketball) February 19, 2021
It didn’t stop there.
Lohner punctured his third 3-point shot in the game with 12:55 remaining, increasing the Cougars’ lead to 55-35 just three weeks from a 7-point overtime victory in Provo over the Tigers. Moments later, the Wasatch Academy product from outside Dallas marked its triple room to crown a 16-2 run – and BYU never looked back.
His only field goal from inside the arc was an alley in the transition, where Lohner showed his jumps and helped the Cougars to take their lead at halftime.
“We see your athletics over and over,” said Pope. “He came with incredible offensive rebounds … and certainly that dead end was incredible.
“But the best thing he did tonight was his defensive performance. Caleb was fundamentally solid all night defensively, and that’s not easy. He did such a good job.”
On a night that brought good news to two BYU basketball teams – the women’s team defeated No. 16 Gonzaga, 61-56 in Provo – the Cougars looked like an NCAA tournament from various angles.
BYU hit 13 out of 27 in the 3-point range, 13 out of 27 in the 2-point range and helped 17 of the 26 field goals. The Cougars also held the Tigers with 40% shots in the second half, including 0 out of 7 deep.
“I thought Trevin was excellent tonight,” Pope said. “He got in early because of Gideon’s problem, but I love Trevin when he comes with a weight on his shoulder. That’s when he’s at his best.”