BYU’s two-game winning streak at Stanford ended Wednesday night in the first round of the NIT.

Reid Travis had 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Dorian Pickens added 16 points and five rebounds to help Stanford hold on for an 86-83 win over visiting BYU at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, California.

Oscar Da Silva chipped in 13 points, and Daejon Davis supplied 11 points, seven assists and four rebounds for the Cardinal (19-15).

"Obviously we're all disappointed because we wanted to move on and keep playing. But there comes a time when you lose a game and there are no more games left. It’s hard to go into that locker room and face those guys," BYU coach Dave Rose told KSL Newsradio.

"Nothing makes you feel better. But this team found a really unique way to stay together and overcome a lot of things. Every team has its own story and legacy, but this group of guys has found a way to adjust and overcome. We won three-quarters tonight."

Elijah Bryant had 28 points, 10 rebounds and two assists to lead the Cougars, who got 11 points and 10 boards from Yoeli Childs before he fouled out in the fourth quarter.

Jahshire Hardnett supplied 12 points and three assists — even a blocked shot — for BYU (24-11), which lost back-to-back opening round games after appearing in three-straight NITs.

Bryant’s third 3-pointer of the game pulled the Cougars within two, 85-83 with 9 seconds left, and Davis made 1-of-2 free throws on the other end and the Cougars could get no closer as the rally fell short with three 3-point shot attempts in the final eight seconds.

"That’s how we've been all season," Hardnett told KSL Newsradio. "Sometimes we've found ourselves down, but being able to battle back is something we’ve stuck with."

BYU shot just 22 percent from 3-point range while allowing the Cardinal to make 7-of-22 from the NIT’s expanded 3-point line.

Bryant scored nine of the Cougars’ first 15 points in surging to a 15-13 edge with 3:16 left in the first quarter. The junior from Gwinnett, Georgia had 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the first quarter and finished the first half with 14 points and three rebounds.

Rylan Bergersen scored five of his career-high seven points to cap a 10-0 that gave the Cougars a 39-30 lead with 1:41 left in the half. But Stanford finished the half on a 5-0 spurt to pull within 39-35 at the break.

The Cardinal opened the half on a 7-0 run, taking the lead at 42-39 on back-to-back-to-back jumpers.

"They just came out with energy," Hardnett said. "We were lackadaisical to start the half, but we eventually got going and tried to battle back."

Stanford outscored the Cougars by 13 en route to a 61-52 lead after three quarters, and a monster dunk by Travis gave the Cardinal an 11-point lead, 69-58 with 7:07 remaining.

After Rose took a technical foul by going after a ref following a foul call, BYU responded with a 10-0 run — including back-to-back fast-break scores by Hardnett to pull the Cougars within four, 72-68 with 3:14 remaining and set up the finish.

Stanford advanced to face second-seeded Oklahoma State in Monday’s second round.

"This group is special," Rose said. "Hopefully with so many underclassmen, and we get them all back, we'll get a chance to do some good things with this group."

Chalk Talk

Every higher-seeded team won in the first round of the NIT until fifth-seeded Washington held off fourth-seeded Boise State 77-74 in the final game of the round.

In a tournament known for top-line upsets, each of the top seeds of Notre Dame, Southern California, Baylor and Saint Mary’s advanced to the second round to face games March 15-19.

The NIT semifinals will be held March 27 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with the championship game two days later.

Nixon injury update

BYU forward Dalton Nixon, whose return to the lineup from a foot injury midway through conference play, missed Wednesday night’s game with a shoulder injury suffered against Gonzaga in the WCC title game.

Nixon, who returned from a two-year church mission last spring, had shoulder surgery Tuesday that ends his season after 23 games. The 6-foot-7 Orem High product averaged 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game off the bench for the Cougars.

BYU doesn't graduate a single player from the 2017-18 squad; in theory, the Cougars could return every player for the 2018-19 season.

"It's been friendly — a little cold for me. But it's good to walk outside and see the mountains with ice on it. It’s been especially nice knowing that I can be here for a couple of years," Hardnett said of his first year in Provo. "I had to get used to the system. I didn’t understand it at first, thought I was being held back. But I think I can do a lot more with the ball, creating for others and myself."

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