SPOKANE, Washington — Amid what’s been a difficult season for BYU, punctuated by heart-wrenching one-point losses to nationally ranked opponents, the Cougars hit a new low Thursday night in Malibu.
“This Gonzaga, I mean, we proved that we can play with them. We’re just looking forward to going up there and running it back and seeing what we can throw at them.” — BYU’s Spencer Johnson
Last-place Pepperdine — led by freshman Jevon Porter’s career-high 30 points — drilled 11 3-pointers, shot 57% from the field, and pummeled BYU 92-80 at Firestone Fieldhouse.
With the setback, the Cougars plummeted from a tie for third place in the West Coast Conference standings to fifth place, and dipped from No. 86 to No. 89 in the NCAA’s NET rankings. The Waves, meanwhile, improved from No. 207 to No. 195 in the NET.
As it stands, BYU’s chances of finishing among the top four in the WCC appear slim, just weeks before the WCC Tournament at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
And things only get tougher.
The Cougars visit No. 16 Gonzaga Saturday (8 p.m. MST, ESPN2) in their final trip to The Kennel as members of the WCC.
“This will be a new experience for our guys,” coach Mark Pope told BYU Radio after Thursday’s defeat. “We only have a couple guys that have ever been there. I just hope that we’ll respond.”
Overall, BYU has lost three straight road games.
“We’re just getting a real lesson of trying to figure out how to win on the road,” Pope said. “I’m excited about these guys. They’re great learners. We get another shot to see if we can make some progress in 48 hours. So far, we haven’t been productive on the road. But I do think we’ll get better.”
From 2015 to 2017, the Cougars beat the Zags at The Kennel in Spokane three consecutive times, highlighted by a 79-71 triumph in 2017 when the Zags were No. 1 in the country and 29-0, looking to go undefeated for the first time in program history.
BYU trailed 18-2 in the game’s opening minutes, and trailed by as many as 12 in the second half before pulling off the shocking upset. It stands as one of the biggest victories in school history.
That’s the last time the Cougars have beaten Gonzaga in Spokane.
The last time the two programs played, on Jan. 12 at the Marriott Center, the Zags overcame a 10-point deficit and escaped Provo with a 75-74 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 18,987.
Gonzaga knocked down three 3-pointers over the final 1:53, including the game-winner by Julian Strawther with 9.5 seconds left.
BYU still had a chance to beat the Zags, but guard Spencer Johnson’s 3-pointer just before the buzzer was deflected by Anton Watson.
“This Gonzaga, I mean, we proved that we can play with them,” Johnson said earlier this week. “We’re just looking forward to going up there and running it back and seeing what we can throw at them.”
The Zags (20-5, 9-2) whipped San Francisco 99-81 Thursday at The Kennel.
With the win, Gonzaga, which is No. 12 in the NET, pulled to within one game of league-leader Saint Mary’s. The Gaels lost 78-74 at Loyola Marymount Thursday.
Gonzaga forward Drew Timme, who was named to the Naismith Midseason List earlier this week, averages 21.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Timme is shooting over 60% from the field. Strawther averages 14.1 points per game, including a career-high 40 points against Portland.
BYU’s Fousseyni Traore scored a team-high 19 points against Pepperdine.
He recorded back-to-back double-doubles last week in wins over LMU and Pacific.
Of course, beating the Zags will be a difficult challenge.
“It’s understanding the mentality and it comes with experience. Right now, we’re having a tough time winning outside of our building. Unfortunately, it comes with painful, painful experience,” Pope said. “We have a young group. We don’t have a lot of guys that know what it takes to win on the road. We’re just having to go get punched in the face and embarrassed a little bit and beat down a little bit.
“Unfortunately, sometimes, that’s the way you learn. You start to understand just how challenging it is. We’re in that process right now. The good thing about our guys is, they’re growing. But these lessons this year are super painful. They’ll play dividends down the road. Learning is hard.”
