SPOKANE — The first time BYU played Gonzaga, at the Marriott Center on Feb. 2, Cougar Eric Mika struggled mightily against the Zags’ big and deep front line.
Mika made only 5 of 15 shots for 15 points and had 11 rebounds and five turnovers that night.
But in Saturday’s stunning 79-71 victory over the No. 1 Bulldogs, Mika turned in perhaps his most impressive performance of the season.
Mika scored 29 points on 10-of-14 shooting, including several jump shots, and grabbed 11 rebounds in 39 minutes for the Cougars. And he became the 49th player in BYU history to score 1,000 career points.
Mika’s jumper with 8:38 left in the game gave the Cougars their first lead of the game, 61-60. Less than one minute later, Mika picked up his first foul, of the intentional variety, after grappling in the paint with Gonzaga’s 7-foot-1 Przemek Karnowski.
“It was a battle. He’s a heckuva player,” Mika said of Karnowski. “You don’t realize how big he is until you play him. He’s a big reason why their defense is so successful. We spread the floor because I’m not going to beat him posting him up.”
CHILDS RETURNS TO ACTION: Sophomore Braiden Shaw made his second consecutive start Saturday in place of injured Yoeli Childs.
Shaw collected a career-high 11 rebounds in his first start in last Thursday’s victory at Portland.
Childs, who suffered an ankle injury a week earlier at home against Saint Mary’s, came off the bench and entered the game midway through the first half. He played just six minutes in the half, recording one rebound and two fouls. Childs also missed a pair of free throws.
Childs started the second half and ended up fouling out with five minutes remaining. He finished with four points and three rebounds in 20 minutes.
NO. 3 SEED: BYU is the No. 3 seed in the West Coast Conference tournament, which tips off this week at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
The Cougars will take on No. 6 seed Loyola Marymount Saturday in the quarterfinals.