PORTLAND, Ore. — To help the BYU basketball team celebrate Thursday’s 85-54 victory, someone gave the Cougars four boxes of Portland’s famous Voodoo Doughnuts.
Meanwhile, there was guard Jake Toolson, sitting down on the floor outside the locker room at the Chiles Center as trainers attended to his ankle with a big bag of ice.
“That’s what happens when you’ve been through adversity like Jake’s had to fight through the last six years, if you’re tough enough to make it on the other end, you become something tremendous.” — BYU coach Mark Pope, on Jake Toolson
Nobody knew if Toolson would even play Thursday after he suffered what looked like a serious ankle injury in the first half of last Saturday’s game against Saint Mary’s before returning and helping the Cougars vanquish the Gaels. Toolson was regarded as a game-time decision for the Portland game after not practicing all week.
So what explains Toolson’s 22-point performance, on 8 of 10 shooting from the field, including 6 of 8 from 3-point range, against the Pilots?
Was it voodoo?
“We talk all the time about the magic of seniors, knowing it’s your last chance to do this and just being as tough as nails and fearless,” said coach Mark Pope. “That’s what happens when you’ve been through adversity like Jake’s had to fight through the last six years, if you’re tough enough to make it on the other end, you become something tremendous. And that’s what he is right now. Not just as a player but a tremendous human being. I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
Toolson described what was going through his mind as he was writhing in pain at the Marriott Center last Saturday night.
“At first, to be honest, it was really painful. But I wasn’t necessarily in so much pain. I thought (the season) was over,” Toolson said. “My mind went to the worst-case scenario. I was super emotional, super scared. They told me not to put any weight on it. They did tests on it and I wanted to wrap it back up and give it a go. I’m super blessed that it’s not worse.
“I just gutted it out. I wanted to be able to help my team win in any way I could,” he added. “That gave us a little bit of a boost. This team, we love each other and we want to win for each other. I felt like this is how I could help the team that night.”
All day Thursday, Toolson did everything he could to play against Portland. After he felt good after warmups 20 minutes before tipoff, he took his usual spot in the starting lineup.
Toolson made the first basket of the game, a 3-pointer, and scored 12 in the first half.
“I freaked out a little bit when I saw that he played 18 minutes in the first half,” Pope said. “That wasn’t the plan. I was going to start Zac (Seljaas) if Jake couldn’t go. Zac played great tonight, too. But it was nice to have him.”
Forward Yoeli Childs, who also finished with 22 points, was glad to see Toolson on the floor.
“He’s awesome. It’s so fun to have such a dynamic scorer. We have so many guys that can go get 10 points in two minutes,” Childs said. “It really challenges the defense. He’s shown a lot of grit and toughness, fighting through this thing. He’s an unbelievable teammate. He’s so fun to play with.”
Is Childs amazed that Toolson has been able to play so well while hobbled?
“I would be amazed if it wasn’t Jake. That’s just what he does,” he said. “He fights for his team and battles through everything. He’s a team-first guy. Coming back from that Saint Mary’s game, the first thing he said in the huddle was, ‘We’re going to win this game.’ That’s all he cares about.”
As for Childs, he hit 1 of 6 shots in the first half only to bounce back and make 7 of 8 in the second half.
“Man, it was one of those nights where I was getting good looks and my teammates were so encouraging,” said Childs, who also pulled down eight rebounds. “I almost felt bad about how encouraging they were being. Coach was saying, ‘We want those shots every single time.’ I just love this team. They always have my back. Coach was talking about how down the road, we’re in the Elite Eight, and I have a half like that knowing that I’ll be able to bounce back and that my team believes in me. It’s something to build off of. I always try to be confident. We talk about owning our shots and believing our shots are going to go in.”
Toolson enjoyed watching Childs turn in a strong second half.
“He was super frustrated in the first half. He wanted to make those shots for our team,” Toolson said. “We just kept telling him, ‘We love what you’re doing. It’s impossible to guard you. Keep doing it.’ He came out in the second half and does that. I’m happy for him.”
But what the Cougars liked most was their defense. BYU held Portland to 28% shooting from the floor, including 4 of 25 from the floor in the second half.
“We were really locked in for 38 minutes. Our lapses on defense were really short,” Childs said. “We’re trying to grow in that regard. We’ve had several times where we have a four-minute lapse. That’s unacceptable. That’s what I’m most happy with.”
And the Cougars are hoping the magic continues at home against San Francisco Saturday, when they look to avenge a heartbreaking loss to the Dons two weeks ago.