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Las Vegas • Monday's West Coast Conference semifinal game against Portland could not have gone much better for the BYU Cougars.
Accustomed to high-stress contests at the annual tournament, the Cougars got a much-needed romp, plowing Portland 84-70 at Orleans Arena to move into the championship game against Gonzaga.
What's more, BYU point guard Kyle Collinsworth recorded his sixth triple-double to tie Shaquille O'Neal and Michael Anderson for the NCAA record in a career. All six have come this season for the junior from Provo, who had 14 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists.
Chase Fischer added 24 points while making just one two-point field goal as the Cougars played as well offensively as they have all season.
The top-seeded Bulldogs (31-2) and second-seeded Cougars (25-8) will play for the third time, each having won on the other's home court, in front of what will be a huge pro-Zags crowd at 7 p.m. MDT on Tuesday night.
An automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament is at stake, although No. 7 Gonzaga is in for sure and unranked BYU might just have punched its ticket with an efficient, dominating performance in front of ESPN2 cameras.
Portland scored first, then BYU led from there, unleashing a spectacular first-half shooting display. The Cougars made eight of their first 10 3-point attempts and cruised to a 42-24 halftime lead.
BYU freshman center Corbin Kaufusi made a highlight-reel play early in the second half, slamming home a missed 3-pointer by Fischer with one hand, and continued his strong offensive play, finishing with a career-high nine points and six rebounds.
Skyler Halford added 10 points and BYU coach Dave Rose got to rest several regulars, the game having been decided early in the second half. BYU guard Anson Winder suffered a sprained knee in the waning moments of Saturday's 78-76 win over Santa Clara and did not play.
The Cougars gave those on the East Coast something to stay awake for in the first half.
Fischer was 6 for 8 from downtown at at one point had outscored the Pilots 20-18 before cooling off late in the half. He's now made 97 3-pointers this season, the second-most 3-pointers in a season in school history, behind only Jimmer Fredette, who had 124.
The Cougars made eight of their first 10 first-half 3-point attempts before missing their last two.
The maestro was Collinsworth, who had eight assists and eight rebounds in the first 20 minutes alone, often finding open shooters after drives to the paint. The Cougars had 12 assists on 15 field goals in the first half, including a nifty behind-the-back pass from Collinsworth to Haws for a 3-pointer that brought the non-Gonzaga supporters in the crowd to their feet.
After making the free throw that gave him the triple-double, Collinsworth stepped away from the line and acknowledged the crowd, which had been chanting "one more point" for a few minutes and was well-aware he was close to the milestone.
Haws was 5 for 7 in the first half, for 12 points, the 120th time in his career he's reached double figures.
Portland was ice-cold in the half, shooting just 31 percent and missing several point-blank shots. Thomas van der Mars led the Pilots with 16 points.
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU 84, Portland 70
• Kyle Collinsworth records his sixth triple-double — 13 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists — to tie an NCAA career record held by Shaquille O'Neal and Michael Anderson.
• Chase Fischer adds 24 points as the Cougars advance to the WCC championship game against Gonzaga.
• The Cougars make eight of their first 10 3-point attempts and are never threatened in beating Portland for the third time this season and winning their eighth-straight game.