Takeaways From BYU Basketball’s Road Breakthrough At Colorado
Jan 22, 2025, 1:46 AM
BYU basketball guard Egor Demin had a strong performance on the road at Colorado. (Nate Edwards/BYU Photo)
(Nate Edwards/BYU Photo)
BOULDER, Colo. – BYU basketball defeated Colorado 83-67 for their first road victory of the 2024-25 season.
Before Tuesday’s late-night Big 12 clash in Boulder, BYU was 0-4 in road games.
This is BYU’s first road win of the season and the first road victory in the Kevin Young era.
Here are some takeaways from the victory.
Richie Saunders lifted BYU basketball out of a hole
It’s easy to forget after a dominant second half, but there was a point in the first half when BYU was down 32-22.
BYU could have easily rolled over and let another road game spiral out of control. Instead, junior wing Richie Saunders went to work and, on his own, put together a 7-0 run that included a blocked shot and a steal that led to a fastbreak layup.
Final: BYU 83, Colorado 67.
First road win of the season and first true road win of the Kevin Young era. pic.twitter.com/T7vh9BMxIM
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) January 22, 2025
At the end of the first half, BYU rolled for the remainder of the game. Saunders’ quick run was the spark that BYU needed.
After the game, Colorado head coach Tad Boyle said he sees Saunders as an All-Conference player.
Saunders scored 25 points on 10 of 15 shooting from the field. He also had five rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal.
BYU’s defense shut down Colorado for an incredible run
You’re not going to find many games in college basketball where a team goes on a 39-6 run–especially in a power conference matchup.
That’s what BYU did in Boulder on Tuesday.
Colorado's Trevor Baskin hits a bucket with 12:39 left in the second half.
It was the first field goal for the Buffs since the 6:13 mark in the first half.
BYU went on a 39-6 run in that stretch.
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) January 22, 2025
After being down 32-22 with 5:44 remaining in the first half, BYU put together a 39-6 run that gave them a 61-38 advantage at the 14:05 mark of the second half.
Beyond the eye-popping 39-6 disparity, even more noteworthy is that all six of Colorado’s points in that stretch were from the free-throw line.
Colorado didn’t hit a field goal until a Trevor Baskin layup with 12:39 remaining.
That was a fantastic stretch of play for BYU. But on the opposite end, it may be one of the worst stretches in Tad Boyle’s accomplished 15 years in Boulder.
Best performance from Egor Demin in Big 12 play
It’s not a coincidence that BYU’s struggles during Big 12 Conference action coincided with freshman guard Egor Demin’s struggles.
On Tuesday night, Demin had his best performance in Big 12 action. The projected NBA Draft lottery pick had one of the best starts to a game in weeks.
BYU guard Egor Demin on his between the legs assist to Richie Saunders.
Before Demin answered, Saunders said, “I’m so glad I hit that, man.” pic.twitter.com/wxRIiObr6g
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) January 22, 2025
Demin attacked the basket, and his first bucket was a layup at the rim.
It was a strong seven minutes of play before Dallin Hall checked into the game for Demin.
Demin finished with eight points, seven assists, four steals, and two blocks in 28 minutes of action. The three-point shooting is still a work in progress as he finished 0-for-2 from beyond the arc, but the former Real Madrid star’s playmaking ability was on full display.
Demin’s between-the-legs pass to Richie Saunders for a three was a highlight reel moment that will play when he gets selected by an NBA team in the draft.
The four scouts from the Denver Nuggets had to be impressed with Demin’s showing.
Strong bounce-back from Trevin Knell
The loss to Utah was tough for Trevin Knell as he missed the front end of a free throw attempt late in the overtime loss.
Initially, against Colorado, Knell’s struggles seemed to continue. He missed his first free-throw attempt and was called for a technical foul in the first half.
But like the rest of the BYU team, Knell started to heat up in the final 25 minutes of the game.
Knell knocked down a game-high four three-pointers and finished with 14 points.
This BYU team is hard to beat when Knell consistently knocks down threes. But for Knell, it was good for him to have a strong showing after a heartbreaking end in last Saturday’s rivalry game.
Underrated performer: Mihailo Boskovic
Junior big man Mihailo Boskovic is working his way back into the rotation. The 6-foot-10 center didn’t play in four of the first five Big 12 games, but that’s suddenly changing.
Boskovic has made back-to-back appearances. In Tuesday’s win over Colorado, Boskovic checked into the game late in the first half during BYU’s run when they were climbing out of a 10-point deficit.
Before the under-four media timeout, Boskovic nearly had a putback dunk that drew a foul and sent him to the line for two shots.
“I thought Mihailo coming in at the five really opened the game up on both ends,” Kevin Young said.
Boskovic’s greatest impact was on the defensive end. In nine minutes, he had three rebounds.
Big win, but more challenging games are ahead
For where BYU’s season was at right now, Tuesday’s victory over Colorado was a big win. Despite being a winless team in Big 12, Colorado was only a five-point underdog against BYU.
Big win for BYU on the road at Colorado. pic.twitter.com/BQ5b3G96LB
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) January 22, 2025
Many prognostications forecasted this game as close to a toss-up entering the matchup.
So, considering that this is a big moment for BYU’s season.
But when you look forward, Colorado is probably the worst team in the Big 12 Conference right now. They could be in danger of not winning a game in league play the entire season if they played the way they did on Tuesday.
However, credit has to be given to BYU. The Cougars were aggressive defensively to start the second half and their offense took on the identity that many envisioned they would look this season.
That vision was a fun, up-tempo style of basketball with three-point shooters all over the floor.
They can enjoy this one, but the gauntlet of Quad 1 games in Big 12 play is quickly approaching.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
