BYU’s fish story — the big one that got away in Lubbock, and the bigger one on its way
Spend any time with an avid angler and you will hear plenty of fish stories, with the best ones being the emotional, wide-eyed tales of the big ones that got away.
BYU’s magical season of tall tales has a few of those, too, including one that is still fresh on their minds.
During the Cougars’ first Big 12 visit to Texas Tech, they put the boat in the water, baited the hook and started casting from great distances. BYU hit 10 3-point shots in the first half to build a stunning 17-point lead.
The Cougars entered the locker room knowing that they had a big one on the line — the kind of catch that gets mounted on the family room wall. It was hard not to imagine the headlines around the league. Not only was No. 25 Texas Tech contending for first place in the toughest conference in America, but it was also a perfect 10-0 at home.
To BYU’s credit, they have been a quick study on how to fish in a new pond. Baiting, casting and setting a hook hasn’t been the problem. BYU also had halftime leads against Cincinnati, Baylor, UCF and Iowa State. After a tussle, the Cougars brought the Knights and Cyclones into the boat, but the Bearcats and Bears broke the line and got away.
Big fish don’t become big fish by falling for the first hook. These are tenured residents who have been in and out of trouble before. They are survivors. Anyone who thought the Red Raiders weren’t going down without a tenacious fight hasn’t fished these waters before.
Texas Tech understood the short-term significance of dropping a home game that could impact their long-term fate on top of the standings. So, when the second half began, they started to wiggle.
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At first, they were motivated to stay alive, but as the Red Raiders fired up, the Cougars started to cool off and BYU’s grip on the game began to loosen. Pop Isaacs’ 23 second-half points electrified the arena and shook the Cougars’ confidence.
Anxiety from the dwindling lead quickened BYU’s pace. When playing in a hurry, this team turns the ball over and rushes their shots. Texas Tech remained relentless, and when Chance McMillian’s layup tied the game at 62 with 7:37 to play, the Red Raiders were off the hook — and BYU was in trouble.
Isaacs’ 3-point shot with 5:37 remaining gave Texas Tech a 67-66 lead and the home team took it from there, 85-78. Despite a first half of really good basketball, the undermanned Cougars left Lubbock with nothing but a fish story about a big one that got away.
Not all is lost, however. There are plenty of fish in the Big 12 pond, including several that are much bigger than Texas Tech. BYU will go after one of them Tuesday night at the Marriott Center when Houston comes to Provo (7 p.m. MST, ESPN+). The red Cougars entered the week No. 1 in the NET rankings, while BYU is No. 5.
It is Mark Pope’s job to quickly lead his boys back onto the water with reinforced line and fresh bait on the hook. It will help if Noah Waterman is out of concussion protocol. Landing a shark like Houston (16-2, 3-2) will require the fight of a lifetime, but just imagine the fish story BYU (14-4, 2-3) will have if they can bring it in. That’s the kind of catch you mount on the wall and talk about for years to come.
Cougars on the air
No. 4 Houston (3-2, 16-2)
at No. 21 BYU (2-3, 14-4)
Tuesday, 7 p.m. MST
Marriott Center, Provo, Utah
TV: ESPN+
Radio: 102.7 FM/1160 AM
Pope will also have a tool he didn’t have in Lubbock — the home crowd. Unlike Hollywood’s famous fish story, where there was a need for a bigger boat, the Marriott Center (17,978) is the largest vessel in the Big 12 fleet.
It will be full. It will be rocking, and the crowd will be called on to create the same chaos it did last week when the Cougars caught Iowa State off guard. Houston has shown some road vulnerabilities with losses at Iowa State and TCU.
Knowing that, BYU’s anglers can’t allow Tuesday to turn into a fishing expedition. They must play to their strengths with a fast start and a full, two-half focus on low turnovers, rebounding and transition offense. Those are the same ingredients to keep the crowd engaged.
Hooking a big fish is hard to do; bringing them into the boat is even harder. The teams that figure it out will control their own destiny on Selection Sunday. Those who don’t will be home telling stories about all those golden moments when the big ones got away.
Tuesday is a golden moment for BYU.
Dave McCann is a contributor to the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.
