Baker, Mag help BYU overwhelm Wyoming from the bench at Delta Center

SALT LAKE CITY — BYU's starting lineup suffered a blow early into a neutral-site game Saturday night.

The Cougars' bench made up for it.

Dawson Baker and Mawot Mag combined for 22 points off the bench, and BYU's bench outscored Wyoming 37-14 to hand the Cowboys a fourth consecutive loss, 68-49, in front of 11,217 fans Saturday night at the Delta Center.

Trevin Knell poured in 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting, with three 3-pointers, to lead the Cougars (8-2, 0-0 Big 12); and Dallin Hall added 4 points, four rebounds and a game-high six assists.

Baker scored 11 points — all in the second half — with five rebounds and two assists as the former UC Irvine transfer scored in double figures for the third consecutive game for the first time in his BYU career.

Mag added 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including career high-tying three 3-pointers while playing 23 minutes mostly in relief of an injured Richie Saunders.

"That was inspiring," BYU coach Kevin Young said of the Rutgers transfer. "He's been dealt a tough hand here, coming back off an injury, and just hasn't found his footing. I haven't given him much opportunity to find his footing, so he's had to grind through stuff as a guy who's played major minutes in a major college basketball program.

"But he's had a great attitude, and it was really inspiring what he did. His defense was tremendous; he took good shots and made them, but the defense was really good. … I think our guys rallied around it, and it was a really good moment for our team."

Obi Agbim had a game-high 21 points to lead Wyoming (5-5, 0-1 Mountain West).

Knell scored 7 points as the Cougars connected on six of their first eight shots during a 13-4 to open the game.

BYU went 10-deep in the first half and shot 58% en route to a 34-25 halftime advantage. The Cougars drained 4-of-10 3-pointers, held the Cowboys to 4-of-14 from the perimeter, and scored 12 points off eight turnovers while outrebounding Wyoming 15-10.

Perhaps the only thing that didn't go against BYU in the first half was Saunders, who crashed to the floor with blood across his face after just over a minute with a lacerated lip. Saunders was helped to the locker room by head athletic trainer Rob Ramos and did not return.

His teammates did well enough without him in the Cougars' penultimate nonconference tilt. That includes Mag, the All-Big Ten defensive ace from Melbourne, Australia, by way of Rutgers who started in Saunders' place in the second half.

The 6-foot-7 took advantage of his extended minutes to score his most points since last February with the Scarlet Knights, when he pumped in 12 and 15 points, respectively, against Wisconsin and Maryland.

Mag attributed his success to "just staying ready," while Young noted his key defensive role for a BYU squad that held Wyoming to just 42% shooting including 10-of-22 from the field in the second half.

On Saturday night, it all came together for the first-year BYU transfer.

"I just wanted to come in and play with effort. It doesn't matter if it was for two minutes, one minute, or even 30 seconds," Mag said. "Just coming in and playing my ass off to help my team win, and do whatever it takes. I just tried to come in and have an impact on the game."

Then there was Knell, who settled back into the starting lineup for the second straight game after coming off the bench for four in a row.

The graduate senior from North Salt Lake averaged just 9.0 points per game in four straight games against Mississippi Valley State, Ole Miss, North Carolina State and Providence as the Cougars went 2-2 with Knell averaging 18.75 minutes per game in the rotation.

Since his return, Knell has scored in double figures in back-to-back games, netting three or more 3-pointers for the 27th and 28th time in his career — good for the eighth-most in program history — for a team that has played without five-star freshman Egor Demin in both games.

"I think he's going to make a shot whether he starts, comes off the bench or is at the playground," Young said of Knell. "I think he's going to make shots. I have all the confidence, whatever role he's in.

"He's a guy who doesn't complain a lot, he just does what we ask. It's obviously good to see him when he's in a rhythm, but I wouldn't necessarily tie that to starting or not starting."

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