Fredette has nice homecoming with No. 18 BYU

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. – Hometown hero Jimmer Fredette scored 26 points to lift No. 18 BYU past Vermont 86-58 on Wednesday night.

A senior guard and AP preseason All-America who starred at Glens Falls High School, Fredette made his first three shots and led the Cougars in scoring for the eighth time in their nine victories to open the season.

Noah Hartsock had 14 points and 13 rebounds and Brandon Davies added 12 points for the Cougars (9-0).

Brendan Bald scored 14 points for the Catamounts (6-2), the home team in name only who scored the opening basket but never held another lead.

Fredette's three-point play with 8:23 remaining put the Cougars up by 20 points , but it was his behind-the-back assist to Kyle Collinsworth on the next trip down court that electrified the crowd.

BYU used a 14-4 run to take a 38-25 halftime lead.

After playing 34 minutes Fredette left to an extended standing ovation, capping his return to this city of 14,000 which has embraced his career for the better part of a decade, including a close loss in the 2007 Class A state title game on the same court.

Despite hitting six 3s, Vermont struggled from the field, shooting 35 percent. Evan Fjeld, who had been averaging 21 points, was held to eight points on 3-of-10 shooting in 31 minutes.

BYU, which scored 15 points on the fastbreak, used a 14-4 run to take a 38-25 halftime lead.

Former BYU great and current Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge was part of a standing room only crowd that took in the "Hometown Classic," the biggest sporting event in this city in some time.