Fousseyni Traore scores season-high 24 points, No. 22 BYU beats West Virginia 86-73

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Fousseyni Traore had a season-high 24 points and nine rebounds to lead No. 22 BYU to an 86-73 victory over West Virginia on Saturday night.

Richie Saunders added 17 points and Jaxson Robinson scored 15 for the Cougars (16-5, 4-4 Big 12), who earned their second road win in five trips this season.

Kerr Kriisa scored a season-high 23 points for West Virginia (8-14, 3-6). Jesse Edwards added 16 points and RaeQuan Battle scored 14.

BYU, which is second nationally in 3-pointers made per game, was solid in the paint for the second straight contest, led by Traore. With center Aly Khalifa out with an illness, Traore was dominant from the start. He scored BYU’s first eight points and finished 10 of 15 from the floor.

When he wasn’t taking shots or setting screens, Traore was mixing it up near the basket, grabbing six rebounds on the offensive end.

West Virginia went more than six minutes without a field goal spanning both halves, while BYU made three 3-pointers in a three-minute span early in the second half and started pulling away.

Saunders' three-point play gave the Cougars their largest lead, 56-39, with 13:44 left.

Kriisa answered with three 3-pointers and Battle sank two free throws to cut the deficit to 70-65 with 5:26 left, but the Mountaineers got no closer.

BYU, which made 13 of 36 3-pointers, missed its first seven attempts from beyond the arc. The Cougars finished the first half on an 11-2 run, including back-to-back 3-pointers by Saunders, for a 38-29 halftime lead.

BIG PICTURE

BYU: The Cougars scored 38 points in the paint after getting a season-high 40 in a win over Texas in its last game on Jan. 27.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers still haven’t won consecutive games all season. They had the chance after beating Cincinnati at home on Wednesday.

UP NEXT

BYU: Plays at No. 23 Oklahoma on Tuesday.

West Virginia: Plays at Texas next Saturday.

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