Thirty years is a long time to wait. No wonder the Brigham Young band stayed well after Saturday night’s game at the Pepsi Center and played for more than 500 remaining Cougars fans. No wonder BYU coach Dave Rose emerged from the locker room to give the fans a curtain call.
When BYU was last seen in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament in 1981, Danny Ainge was making a coast-to-coast drive to beat Notre Dame for a berth in the Elite Eight. Did the Irish get Ainged?
Well, perhaps the Cougars fans weren’t that creative with their slogans 30 years ago. But there was no doubt Saturday that Gonzaga got Jimmered.
With signs throughout the Pepsi Center hailing BYU’s scoring star, the Cougars defeated the Bulldogs 89-67 in an NCAA tournament Southeast Region third-round game for the right to advance to the Sweet 16. And that star, BYU senior guard Jimmer Fredette, did not disappoint, scoring 34 points and handing out six assists.
“It’s a great moment for this school,’’ said Fredette, who leads the nation with a 28.8 scoring average and next will be on display Thursday against Florida in New Orleans. “We haven’t been here for the last 30 years.’’
There were some who thought the Cougars, a No. 3 seed, might come up short against No. 11 Gonzaga. BYU, after all, hadn’t been the same team since it was ranked No. 3 in the nation prior to the March 1 suspension of starting forward Brandon Davies for violating the school’s honor code. The Cougars (32-4) hadn’t looked too good in a 74-66 win over No. 14 Wofford on Thursday, while the Bulldogs had walloped St. John’s 86-71.
But Fredette showed he was far from ready to see his college career end. After shooting just 2-of-9 from three-point range against the Terriers, he was 7-of-12 from beyond the arc against the ’Zags.
“We were aware of what’s going on, and a lot of people picked Gonzaga,’’ Fredette said. “We didn’t really worry about it too much. . . . We knew if we could put a good game together, we could get a win.’’
Most of the folks at the Pepsi Center, though, were solidly behind the Cougars, who play one state away in Provo, Utah. Signs displayed by the fans offered all sorts of plays on being Jimmered, including “John Stockton Even the Mailman Can’t Keep You from Being Jimmered.’’
That one needs some explanation. Stockton’s son, David, plays for the Bulldogs, and the legendary former Gonzaga star was in the stands Saturday. The Mailman, of course, is Stockton’s former Utah Jazz running mate.
“They’re very clever with all the signs that they have,’’ said Fredette, who revealed his favorite is “Fredette About It.’’
It didn’t take long for the Bulldogs to Fredette about advancing to a sixth Sweet 16 since 1999. The Cougars took a 45-38 halftime lead and spent the second half extending it.
Meanwhile, Fredette spent the game extending his range. He hit several tape-measure 3-pointers.
“We wanted to limit his threes . . ., ’’ said Gonzaga center Robert Sacre, who scored 17 points while guard Steven Gray and forward Elias Harris each had 18 for the ’Zags. “He can shoot from anywhere on the court.’’
Fredette wasn’t the only BYU player with impressive long-distance range. The Cougars also got a trio of 3-pointers apiece from guard Jackson Emery, who had 16 points, and forward Noah Hartsock, who had 13 points and didn’t miss from beyond the arc.
“When we got the lead, we didn’t hear much from their fans and never looked back,’’ BYU forward Logan Magnusson said of the Bulldogs (25-10), who were outscored 89-67.
The fans were screaming plenty for Fredette. He scored 14 points in the first half and had 20 after intermission before coming out to a huge ovation with 1:14 remaining.
Other signs being held high when Fredette exited read, “I’m Proud to be a Jimmerican’’ and “Today’s Fashion is Jimmer.’’
“There should be a Jimmer dictionary,’’ Magnusson said of everything he’s seen invoking the star’s name.
As the clock ticked down, BYU fans chanted, “Sweet 16. Sweet 16.’’ More than 15 minutes after the game, many still were on hand while the band played. Rose emerged from the locker room and shook hands and exchanged high-fives with fans as some chanted, “We love you, coach.’’
Asked about the post-game scene, Rose, who is in his sixth year at the school and has successfully battled pancreatic cancer, got emotional. He had to hold back tears.
“It’s been a long time for our (fans),’’ Rose said. “And I’m happy, really happy for them. . . . This is a special team. I’m really pleased that they’ll be rewarded with continuing on in this tournament.’’
When BYU was last in the Sweet 16, it was Ainge making a long drive. Now, the Cougars practically can cover that distance with a Fredette jumper.
