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Provo • Other than the steady, often-spectacular play of big man Eric Mika, there weren't a lot of positives for the Cougars in Thursday's 81-68 loss to No. 19 Saint Mary's, BYU's lowest scoring output since a 71-68 loss to Gonzaga last February.
That will happen when the opponent outrebounds you 37-27, out-assists you 21-9 and shoots 55.4 percent from the field. BYU tried various defenses throughout the game in addition, but couldn't disrupt the offensive efficiency of Saint Mary's, which made nine straight shots to build a 13-point lead in the first half and didn't relinquish the lead the rest of the way.
Offensively, the Cougars' shot selection was suspect, especially in the second half, and Mika scored 28 points without attempting a shot in the final 10 minutes of the game. The Cougars committed three turnovers and shot 44.3 percent from the field in scoring the second-most points that Saint Mary's has allowed this season, despite a season-low 62 possessions.
"We knew they were going to make shots. We knew they were going to be efficient. We knew their crowd would be going crazy every time they made a shot, so we just had to keep going and stick to what we do," Mika said.
But that didn't work.
Help may be on the way, however, as the Cougars (11-5, 2-1) play host to Pacific (7-9, 1-2) on Saturday at the Marriott Center.
Sophomore guard Elijah Bryant, playing for the first time since Nov. 23, showed flashes of offensive brilliance and said after the game that his surgically repaired knee responded well to 19 minutes of action and he expects to be "full go" the rest of the season.
"It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be," said Bryant, who scored 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting. "Once I got in my natural ability took over."
Coach Dave Rose said the plan was to play Bryant two or three minutes in each half, but the nature of the game and Bryant's readiness level changed that.
"He has a lot of game that will really help our team," Rose said. "Now we just need to fit it in."
Pacific, with new coach Damon Stoudamire, returns to Provo for the 7 p.m. tipoff for the first time since stunning BYU 77-72 last February. The Tigers eked out a 56-53 win at San Diego on Thursday and still feature most of the guys who surprised BYU last year.
"We have to regroup," said BYU guard L.J. Rose. "We have another one in 36 hours and we can't lose two in a row. We need to get back on track and win that game at home. … We made some mental mistakes, but physically we are playing as hard as we can."
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU vs. Pacific
P At the Marriott Center, Provo
Tipoff • Saturday, 7 p.m.
TV • BYUtv
Radio • 1160 AM, 102.7 FM, Sirius XM 143
Records • BYU (11-5, 2-1 WCC); Pacific (7-9, 1-2 WCC)
Series history • BYU leads, 7-5
Last meeting: Pacific 77, BYU 72 (Feb. 6, 2016)
About the Tigers • They ended an eight-game road losing streak with a 56-53 win at San Diego on Thursday night. … Senior T.J. Wallace led them with 16 points and junior forward Ray Bowles added 14. … Coach Damon Stoudamire, a former NBA player, is in his first season at the Stockton, Calif., school. … They are averaging 70.3 points per game.
About the Cougars • Sophomore center Eric Mika had the eighth double-double of the season with 28 points and 10 rebounds in Thursday's 81-68 loss to No. 19 Saint Mary's. It was BYU's lowest scoring output of the season. … Nick Emery had a career-high five steals in the loss, along with nine points. … Elijah Bryant saw his first action since Nov. 23 and matched his career high of 11 points.