MONACO — Sam Burgess scored 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting to lead the BYU men's basketball team to an 86-61 victory over AS Monaco Friday. With the win, the Cougars complete their foreign tour of France and Monaco with a perfect 5-0 record.
With Trent Plaisted sitting out with a sprained ankle, the Cougars had their hands full down low against an AS Monaco team with good size in the post. A strong shooting night and emphasis on rebounding helped BYU overcome its first halftime deficit of the trip, 43-36.
The third quarter was a hard-fought battle until the Cougars seized momentum with a 14-0 scoring burst over the final 3:30 to go up by nine at 64-55. In the final quarter, BYU put the game away, outscoring Monaco 22-6 for the 25-point final margin.
Ben Murdock scored 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting and Gavin MacGregor was a perfect 6- for-6 with 12 points for the second straight game.
Jonathan Tavernari and Lee Cummard added 15 and 12 points, respectively, while Chris Miles contributed seven and Chase Ulicny two points.
The team is to return to Provo on Saturday.