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Spokane, Wash. • BYU guard Tyler Haws sprinkled his postgame comments with words such as hurts, stings, stinks and failure on Thursday night, words not usually associated with someone who had just scored 48 points, the third-most in school history and tied for the most in major college basketball this season.
That's because the Cougars lost 114-110 in triple overtime to the Portland Pilots, dropping out of second place in the West Coast Conference in the process. A BYU player has scored 42 or more points in a game 10 times now, but this was the first time it has happened in a loss.
"It doesn't matter unless you win," said the 6-foot-5 junior, whose previous career high was 42 against Virginia Tech last season.
Haws was 17-for-34 from the field, 4 of 8 from 3-point range, and 10 of 13 from the free-throw line while playing in 50 of the game's 55 minutes. He is now the third-leading scorer in the country, with a 23.6 average.
Haws didn't have a single assist, but that's not what bothered him after the game. He's not the point guard, after all — and he was hot.
Missing three big free throws in regulation, including the front end of a one-and-one opportunity, stung the 88 percent free-throw shooter as much as anything else.
"I wish I could have drawn a few more fouls, got a few more guys in the air," Haws said. "I tried to stay aggressive all night, but it just stinks. It doesn't matter how many points you score if you don't win."
Haws was so spent after the game, emotionally and physically, that he could not remember the most controversial play of the night, at least from BYU's perspective. Fellow guard Kyle Collinsworth collected a defensive rebound and streaked toward the basket with the score tied 80-80 at the end of regulation, only to lose it off his knee with 1.4 seconds left.
Television replays clearly showed Collinsworth was hacked across the arm, causing him to lose the ball, but nothing was called and the Pilots were awarded the ball.
"I can't even remember the play," said Haws, who was asked because he was open on the other side of the lane from Collinsworth. "I am tired. We just battled. There were so many plays that could have helped us win. We had our chances, for sure."
Coach Dave Rose said he wasn't sure whether the Cougars played well enough to win, despite Haws' big night. He lamented the 14 missed free throws, giving up 19 offensive rebounds, and that same problem that occurred in losses at Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine: an opponent's ability to torch the Cougars from the 3-point line. Portland was 14-for-23 from long range.
Haws forced the second overtime with a 3-pointer with 12 seconds remaining in the first OT, but his jumper from roughly the same spot at the end of the second overtime was just off.
"I thought that shot by Ty on the baseline was going in," Rose said.
A wry smile crossed Rose's face, if only briefly, when he was asked about the Cougars' next big challenge — Saturday's game at West Coast Conference kingpin Gonzaga.
The Zags are probably the last team the Cougars want to see after the energy-sapping loss, but that's what is in store for them at one of the most difficult venues in college basketball, the McCarthey Athletic Center.
"It doesn't really matter what the minutes were or how many overtimes you played," Rose said. "We will have to regroup and see how we respond to this one."
BYU single-game scoring
52 • Jimmer Fredette (March 11, 2011, vs. New Mexico)
49 • Jimmer Fredette (Dec. 28, 2009, vs. Arizona)
48 • Tyler Haws (Jan. 23, 2014, vs. Portland)
47 • Jimmer Fredette (Jan. 11, 2011, vs. Utah)
47 • Bob Skousen (Dec. 2, 1961, vs. UCLA)
45 • Jimmer Fredette (March 11, 2010, vs. TCU)
44 • Dave Eastis (Feb. 5, 1960, vs. New Mexico)
43 • Jimmer Fredette (Jan. 26, 2011, vs. San Diego State)
42 • Tyler Haws (Dec. 29, 2012, vs. Virginia Tech)
42 • Jimmer Fredette (Jan. 22, 2011, vs. Colorado State) —
BYU at Gonzaga
O At the McCarthey Athletic Center, Spokane, Wash.
Tipoff • Saturday, 8 p.m
TV • ESPN2. Radio • 1160 AM, 102.7 FM
Records • BYU 13-8 (5-3); Gonzaga 17-3 (7-1)
Series history • Gonzaga, 5-2
Last meeting • Gonzaga 70, BYU 65 (Feb. 28, 2013)
About the Bulldogs • Sam Dower Jr. scored 18 points and Kevin Pangos added 11 and made the game's final shot in their 59-56 victory over San Diego on Thursday night, their 11th straight win over the Toreros. … They have defeated the Cougars four straight times after losing to BYU in the NCAA Tournament in 2011 and the first WCC meeting between the two in 2012. … Gary Bell Jr. played for the first time Thursday after breaking his hand in late December and scored five points in 22 minutes.
About the Cougars • They had a five-game winning streak snapped in Thursday's 114-110 triple-overtime loss at Portland. It was their first triple-overtime game since a 76-75 win at UTEP in 1998. … Freshman center Eric Mika scored just four points against the Pilots, the first time he has failed to score in double digits in his last 18 games. … Matt Carlino scored 25 points and had nine assists, more than half of BYU's 17 assists. —
Portland 114, BYU 110 TRIPLE OVERTIME Late Thursday night
BYU (13-8)
Mika 1-3 2-4 4, Austin 1-1 5-6 7, Haws 17-34 10-13 48, Collinsworth 3-8 6-12 12, Halford 4-10 3-4 13, Carlino 10-23 2-2 25, Sharp 0-0 1-2 1, Winder 0-1 0-0 0, Worthington 0-0 0-0 0.
Totals 36-80 29-43 110.
PORTLAND (12-8)
K. Bailey 4-16 5-7 15, Nicholas 3-6 8-12 15, van der Mars 9-14 9-14 27, Pressley 5-10 0-0 12, Wintering 3-6 2-2 9, Sharp 9-14 1-2 27, Barker 1-2 0-0 2, Thieleke 0-3 0-0 0, Carr 0-3 1-4 1, Gerun 3-4 0-0 6.
Totals 37-78 26-41 114
Halftime—Portland 45-40. End Of Regulation—Tied 80. End Of 1st Overtime—Tied 91. End Of 2nd Overtime—Tied 103. 3-Point Goals—BYU 9-24 (Haws 4-8, Carlino 3-10, Halford 2-6), Portland 14-23 (Sharp 8-13, Pressley 2-2, K. Bailey 2-4, Nicholas 1-1, Wintering 1-2, Carr 0-1). Fouled Out—Austin, K. Bailey, Mika, Pressley, Thieleke, Wintering. Rebounds—BYU 48 (Austin 15), Portland 51 (van der Mars 18). Assists—BYU 17 (Carlino 9), Portland 21 (K. Bailey 6). Total Fouls—BYU 27, Portland 30. A—2,813.