BYU gets balanced scoring, solid defense down the stretch in 69-59 win over San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO — Over the years, BYU’s success at War Memorial Gym has been highlighted by career-high scoring performances.

But the Cougars won in a different way Thursday — with balanced scoring — in a 69-59 victory over San Francisco.

While several BYU players contributed in the win, in the end, leading scorers Yoeli Childs and Elijah Bryant asserted themselves late, when the Dons took their first lead of the game with 8:35 remaining, 53-51, on a 3-pointer by Jordan Ratinho.

Childs and Bryant scored 12 consecutive points for the Cougars that propelled them to a 61-56 lead with 4:29 remaining. They both made some big defensive plays as well down the stretch.

"It started on defense," Bryant…