No, it wasn’t the outcome BYU wanted Saturday, when the Cougars lost to No. 16 Gonzaga 88-81 at The Kennel.
“We say that every single game,” coach Mark Pope said.
It certainly seems that way.
Yes, BYU is tired of falling short against nationally ranked teams. It happened last month at home against the Zags and Saint Mary’s with a pair of heartbreaking, one-point losses.
If that weren’t bad enough, the Cougars also lost to last-place Pepperdine Thursday, but the season goes on.
BYU (16-12, 6-7) appears to be headed toward its worst conference season since finishing 3-11 in the Mountain West Conference (and 9-21 overall) in 2004-05, the final campaign of coach Steve Cleveland.
That’s the last time BYU had a losing record in league play.
The Cougars, who sit in sixth place in the West Coast Conference standings, host third-place Santa Clara Thursday (7 p.m., MST, CBS Sports Network).
This is not the way BYU wanted to leave the WCC in its final season in the league, saving its worst for last. And life will get much tougher next year in the Big 12.
Going into the weekend, BYU was in a third-place tie with LMU. Now, the Cougars are all the way down to sixth — and hoping not to slide any further going into the WCC Tournament at Orleans Arena the first week of March.
Santa Clara (19-8, 7-5) edged Loyola Marymount 71-69 Saturday at home. The Broncos beat the Cougars last month 83-76.
How much is BYU looking forward to returning to the Marriott Center after getting swept by Pepperdine and Gonzaga?
“I think we’re excited to get back to the practice facility,” Pope said after Saturday’s game. “We’ve just got to get better. I wish we could fly (home) and walk right back into the (Marriott Center) Annex tonight. It’s the only cure, it’s the only thing that takes the edge off — practicing to get better.
“These guys are getting better. We’re just not good enough. They are getting better. We’ve got a lot of season left and we have a lot of opportunities to get better. Maybe one day we’ll have a positive outcome. We’ll see.”
There were some positive things that came out of the loss to Gonzaga.
Noah Waterman, who entered the night having made just 11 of 50 shots in WCC play, scored 12 points on 4 of 6 shooting, including 1 of 3 from 3-point range. He reached double figures for the first since scoring 14 against Weber State on December 22.
And with Fousseyni Traore and Atiki Ally Atiki in foul trouble, Tredyn Christensen played nine minutes and helped the Cougars in the paint.
“TC’s been really good. Welcome to college basketball, you get to play against Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga. He was terrific,” Pope said.
“Noah’s fighting right now to find a rhythm. I thought he showed a little bit of toughness. He’s also a young player that has a ton of growth in him. I’m proud of those guys coming off the bench making contributions.”
Traore and Spencer Johnson each scored 17 points.
“Fouss plays so hard and so well. He’s such a problem. I’m super proud of him,” Johnson said.
“Noah shot the ball really well. Treydn came in off the bench and gave us really good minutes when dudes were in foul trouble. That was awesome. I’m proud of them.”
Traore and Ally Atiki were on the floor at the same time Saturday, with some good results, though they both found themselves in foul trouble.
“They both had moments where they were really good. They have to learn to play together and we have to learn to be able to function with them on the court. Again, that’s the future. We might as well roll all of our freshmen and sophomores out there,” Pope said.
“It’s super painful but it’s a super valuable time. I was proud of those guys for trying. They haven’t had a ton of experience on the floor together. Minus the foul issues, they would have played more on the floor together. This is an occasion where we can do it. There will be times in the future when they need to be on the floor together. It’s a really valuable time. I’m sure we’ll be super great for it down the road. Right now, it’s just tough.”
BYU led for much of the second half against Gonzaga but couldn’t finish.
The Zags made just 6 of 19 3-pointers Saturday but they hit 3s when it mattered most in the closing minutes.
Johnson said after Thursday’s 92-80 loss at Pepperdine, he and his teammates had to regroup.
“It’s a credit to our coaches and all the guys we have around us,” he said. “Our team, even after hard losses like the one at Pepperdine, which was brutal, we’ve always figured out a way to come back to build on positive things. We’re a resilient bunch.”
Pope knows that his players need to keep working.
“Lessons are hard. It’s not like these guys have anybody they can turn to to lean on right now. They just have to figure it out under fire. I’m super, super proud of the fact that they’re trying,” he said.
“It’s super disappointing, the fact that we can’t get a positive outcome, but these lessons will be emblazoned on their souls and this is what changes you over time. Right now, we’re just grateful for the opportunity to learn these lessons.”
Johnson can’t wait to return to the Marriott Center Thursday.
“We’re really excited. Our fans are so incredible,” he said. “They roll with us, they rock with us. They pick us up when we’re down. I’m super, super excited to get back there.”
Then Saturday, the Cougars have another big challenge on the road when they visit No. 15 Saint Mary’s.
Santa Clara (19-8, 7-5) at BYU (16-12, 6-7)
Thursday, 7 p.m. MST
Marriott Center
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: BYU Radio/1160 AM