PROVO — No doubt, after a 74-64 overtime loss to Saint Mary’s last Saturday at the Marriott Center, BYU was bitterly disappointed.
The Cougars, who led the Gaels by six points with a little less than six minutes left in regulation, missed an opportunity to knock off the West Coast Conference preseason favorites.
Yet compared to the way BYU played against Saint Mary’s last season — the Gaels crushed the Cougars in all three matchups — Saturday’s performance was an encouraging sign.
Coach Dave Rose said the loss “gives us a pretty good benchmark of where we are.