Rob Wright III scored 22 points and added seven assists and five steals to lead No. 23 BYU to an 86-71 victory over Montana State on Thursday night in Provo, Utah.
Freshman Bruce Branch III added a career-high-tying 17 points and five rebounds.
Jaxon Kohler contributed 12 points and six rebounds, while Collin Chandler chipped in 11 points, including three 3-pointers, as the Cougars (4-0) continued their undefeated start.
Jeremiah Davis and Layton Praytor each scored 14 points for the Bobcats (1-2), the Big Sky Conference preseason favorite. Christian King finished with 12 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Although BYU didn’t reach the century mark, as it had in each of its first three games, the Cougars cruised behind 58.2% shooting from the field.
Chandler gave BYU the lead for good with a 3-pointer at the 17:21 mark of the first half.
The Cougars quickly built a double-digit lead, going up 21-11 with a 10-2 run capped by five consecutive points from Kohler.
Branch ignited an 8-0 surge with a layup and free throw to help BYU take a 34-17 lead.
The Cougars led 43-29 at halftime despite making just 4 of 12 3-point attempts. The difference came inside the arc, where they connected on 13 of 18 shots.
Branch hit a pair of 3-pointers early in the second half, and it appeared BYU would break the game open after Tyler Betsey gave the Cougars a 20-point lead.
Montana State’s Howie Keene responded with a pair of 3-pointers to keep the game from getting out of hand.
Chandler capped a 9-2 run with a 3-pointer as the Cougars extended their lead to 21 down the stretch.
–Field Level Media
