BYU vs. Loyola Marymount recap: Collinsworth records 5th triple-double in 87-68 win

With the BYU Cougars post season destination hanging in the balance, Coach Rose once again shuffled the lineups as he put Josh Sharp in the starting lineup in place of Anson Winder against the Loyola Marymount Lions. Josh Sharp had not played in four of the last five games, yet Rose liked the match-ups that were presented with him on the floor. On the other hand, Cougar fans once again were on Triple-Double watch as Kyle Collinsworth looked to become the first player to record five triple-doubles in a season.

Related: Kyle Collinsworth sets single-season triple-double record

The teams played close for most of the first half but Collinsworth was intent on giving the Cougars the lead going into the half. Collinsworth scored the first six points for the Cougars before Chase Fischer hit his first three pointer of the game giving the Cougars a 9-6 lead. The officials were letting the two teams play as the first foul of the game was called with over five minutes gone. After a Haws bucket gave the Cougars a five point lead, the Lions went on a 10-0 run as they took their first lead of the game, and built it to five at 16-11. BYU would answer back with a Halford three and a Collinsworth layup plus the foul. The two teams would keep it close once again but a Cougar 9-0 run gave the Cougars an 11 point lead at 36-25. The Lions could only shave off one point before halftime and the Cougars went into the locker room with a 40-30 lead. Collinsworth ended the half with 14 points, three rebounds, and four assists.

The Cougars continued to control the game throughout the second half as they answered each run that the Lions presented, and continued to build on the lead. The Cougars built up a game high lead of 15 deep in the half but the real story of the half was the play of Collinsworth. With just over six minutes left in the game, Collinsworth found Skyler Halford beyond the three point line where Halford put up a perfect shot that went through the net. With the 10th assist of the game, Kyle Collinsworth became the first player in NCAA history to record five triple-doubles in one season. For more on this accomplishment, take a look at this article by Steve Pierce. The Cougars continued to play well and found themselves up by 20 with under three minutes to play. The Lions couldn't overcome the Collinsworth and Haws duo as the Cougars walked out with a 87-68 win.

Kyle Collinsworth led the Cougars in points (23), rebounds (12), assists (10), and steals (3). Tyler Haws ended with 22 points and six rebounds. Halford was the only other Cougar to score in double-digits as he added 18.

Next Game:

The Cougars will come home for the next game as they host Saint Mary's on Thursday the 12th at 7pm MST. The game will be televised on ESPN2.