Men’s basketball falls late to BYU in season opener

All-American forward Lee Cummard was just as good as advertised for Brigham Young.

This past off-season he turned down the NBA to return to Provo, Utah for his senior season, much to the delight of everyone but Long Beach State on Friday night at the Marriott Center.

Behind Cummard’s career-high 36 points on 13-of-15 shooting and 10 rebounds, BYU (1-0) erased a seven-point halftime deficit to down the 49ers, 75-65, in both teams’ season openers.

LBSU (0-1) was led by senior forward Cornel Williams, who also registered a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Guards Donovan Morris (13 points) and Stephan Gilling (12 points) also scored in double figures for the 49ers. Both Williams and Gilling knocked down three 3-pointers.

But the story of the night was Cummard, who also added four blocked shots and four assists.

“He’s a complete player,” LBSU head coach Dan Monson said. “He literally led BYU by himself. They had a lot of guys not play well but he had a great game.”

Jonathan Tavernari added 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Cougars. The Cummard-Tavernari duo combined for 55 of the 75 Cougar points.

The rest of the team shot just 5-of-23 from the field.

A slow start to the second half let BYU back in the affair after The Beach headed into the break with a 38-31 lead. The ‘Niners shot just 10-for-29 in the 2nd half and managed only 27 points.

“We put ourselves in a position to win but just weren’t experienced enough to get it done,” Monson said. “They are a more experienced team and I think that showed down the stretch.”

For a 6-25 team a year ago, this was a huge step in the right direction despite the loss. BYU embarassed the ‘Niners at the Walter Pyramid last November in a 74-34 romp.

That game was never in doubt. This one wasn’t decided until about the two-minute mark of the second half.

Two big areas of concern heading into the game for LBSU were rebounding and free-throw shooting.

Those categories remain an issue, as the 49ers were outrebounded, 43-35, and shot just 50 percent (7-of-14) from the line.

For a team that struggled both on the road (1-17) and in close games (2-11 in games decided by six points or less) last year, these are areas still in need of improvement.

Freshman Casper Ware started at point guard, scoring seven points and dishing out three assists. He also committed five turnovers.

“Tonight was a difficult game for (Ware), which is good,” Monson said. “That’s why we’re starting him, that’s why we’re sticking with him because he needs to learn. That’s why we are playing in these games, for all our freshmen. They need to understand that every possession is vital.”

Eugene Phelps added eight points and three rebounds off the bench.

The win runs BYU’s home winning streak to 48 games, the longest in the nation.

The ‘Niners travel to Madison, Wisc., for a Sunday game against the University of Wisconsin at 1 p.m. PST. The game will air on the Big Ten Network, DirecTV channel 610.