Fredette scores 47 to lead No. 11 BYU past Utah
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Jimmer Fredettte scored 47 points and Jackson Emery added 20 points and set BYU's career steals record Tuesday night as the 11th-ranked Cougars beat Utah 104-79 to extend their winning streak to seven games.
BYU (17-1, 3-0 Mountain West) has won four straight and eight of the last nine against Utah.
The Utes (7-10, 0-3) came out determined to match BYU's intensity, and led 15-10 and 23-19.
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Then BYU followed with a barrage of 3-pointers. A 3 by Emery pulled BYU within 23-22, and Fredette hit consecutive shots from beyond the arc for a 28-25 BYU lead. Fredette's three-point play with 5:12 left in the half gave BYU a 38-29 lead.
He hit a 3-pointer from 30 feet for a 43-33 lead, and scored BYU's final 13 points of the half, including a 40-footer at the buzzer that put the Cougars up 53-42.
The buzzer-beater gave Fredette 32 points in the first half and moved him past BYU great Danny Ainge in career 30-point games with 13. He trails only Michael Smith and Devin Durant, who had 17 apiece to top the Cougar record books.
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Emery made his 196th career steal at the 12:47 mark of the first half, then passed ahead to Fredette for a layup. He entered the game tied with Ainge, who set the mark in 1981. Emery added one more steal.
Fredette and Emery left the game with 5:44 remaining, then came back in at the 4:15 mark, drawing boos from Utah fans dressed for a "red-out."
Fredette would add two free throws to finish with 47 points — two off the career high he scored last season against Arizona.
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The game ended with BYU fans shouting "We Want Jimmer."
Fredette finished 6 of 9 on 3-pointers, 9 of 9 on free throws and 16 of 28 overall. His only big mistake was a missed dunk with 8:41 remaining after he tipped a loose ball ahead on a fast break.
Will Clyburn led Utah with 23 points and Josh Watkins added 19.
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Clyburn pulled Utah within 63-53 with a layup with 12:26 remaining, and two free throws by Watkins cut it to nine points with 11:40 remaining.
But Noah Hartsock hit consecutive 3-pointers to give Utah a 72-57 lead with 10:12 left and the Cougars never looked back.