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3 takeaways from BYU’s exhibition win over UNLV
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- 3 takeaways from BYU’s exhibition win over UNLV
BYU forward Khadim Mboup dunks against UNLV on Oct. 24, 2026 in Las Vegas. | BYU Photo
BYU picks up another preseason win.
The Cougars shook off a slow start to defeat the UNLV Runnin' Rebels 89-77 in an exhibition matchup Saturday in Las Vegas, having already beaten Nebraska in last week's tuneup.
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BYU now sets its sights on the regular season, which begins Nov. 2 against Ohio State at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
3 takeaways
BYU rebounded from a rough start.After trailing by 12 points late in the first half, the Cougars managed to both come back and secure a 12-point victory.
BYU shot 42% from the field before intermission and allowed UNLV to net 53% of its shots and 56% of its 3-pointers.
But the Cougars rallied for a 11-0 run entering halftime to trail by just one, then outscored the Rebels by a 48-35 margin in the second half.
In total, BYU shot 46% from the field, hit 10 triples, averaged 1.22 points per possession, dished out 19 assists against 10 turnovers and scored 42 points in the paint.
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The Cougars need to be more consistent defensively.Similar to last week against Nebraska, BYU's overall effort on defense was laudable. You can't say the Cougars don't try.
They just need to get better results earlier and more often.
UNLV's guards initially enjoyed regular success getting past BYU, with the Rebels ultimately scoring 44 paint points on the afternoon.
In the second half, however, the Cougars held UNLV to just 40% total shooting and a single made 3-pointer.
BYU also forced 18 Rebel turnovers, which they turned into 19 points of their own.
But every Cougar starter allowed an average of at least 130 points per 100 possessions, and of all BYU players who logged at least 15 minutes, only Jake Wahlin (72%) and Khadim Mboup (61%) posted stop rates of more than 45%.
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Those kind of analytics can't occur regularly in Big 12 play.
Additionally, UNLV won the rebounding battle by a 41-34 margin. The Cougars have to make more noise on the glass once the regular season tips off.
Remember last year's "Brig 3?" BYU appears to have a "Fab 4″ (better nickname still pending) leading the charge this seasonThe quartet of Rob Wright III, Collin Chandler, Jaxon Kohler and Bruce Branch III combined for 75 of BYU's 89 points Saturday.
Wright and Kohler provided 19 points apiece, with Wright dishing out four assists and Kohler grabbing five rebounds. Wright shot 2 of 5 from long distance, while Kohler sank 3 of 7 triples.
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Chandler scored nine of BYU's first 11 points en route to a 23-point afternoon, adding four rebounds, five assists and hitting 4 of 8 3-pointers.
Branch struggled early, shooting just 1 of 9 from the field in the first half, but he eventually woke up and showed his 5-star stripes, posting 12 points and six assists after halftime, with BYU +15 in his 16 late minutes.
As for the Cougar bench, Mboup had seven points and four rebounds, Wahlin corralled five boards, Nate Pickens hit a 3-pointer and Brooks Bahr had a few encouraging flashes on both ends of the floor.
