No. 23 BYU defeated Queens 98-82 at the Marriott Center on Tuesday night.
Cougars secure victory through efficient 3-point shooting
The Cougars drained 17 3-pointers out of 37 attempts to secure their 28th consecutive non-conference home victory and improve to 3-0 on the season, as BYU Athletics reported. Robert Wright III led all scorers with 21 points and six assists, while Bruce Branch III added 15 points and six rebounds.
COUGS WIN!! pic.twitter.com/uQ8BkhKy33
“I think the efficiency is what I get the most excited about,” said Kevin Young, BYU head coach. “I still feel a little frustration where I think we’re leaving money on the table. This team’s secret sauce is to play unselfishly, and when we do that, I think we’re going to score a lot of points.”
Five BYU players reached double figures for the third straight game. Jaxon Kohler and Nate Pickens chipped in 15 points apiece, and Collin Chandler contributed 12 points alongside a career-high four blocks.
JAKE FOR THREE!! 📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/Gtzr0YaW70
Wright shot 8 of 18 from the floor and 2 of 6 from distance, pacing the offense with 11 points and five assists in the first half alone. BYU converted 62.5 percent of its field goals before the break, connecting on 12 first-half triples to claim a 54-42 advantage at intermission.
Pickens also factored heavily into the perimeter barrage, converting two 3-pointers during an 18-6 run that pushed the margin to 22 points late in the opening half. Entering the matchup with a fast-paced identity, the visitor from North Carolina arrived as a projected Atlantic Sun favorite that returned four starters from an NCAA Tournament squad.
NATE PICKENS – GAME HIGHLIGHTS vs QUEENS 15 PTS | 1 AST | 2 STL pic.twitter.com/sJ5V571JpU
Queens narrows lead before BYU dominates in the paint
Queens kept the pressure on by hitting 14 3-pointers and using an 18-2 run across halves to shrink a 22-point BYU lead down to six points. Caleb Jones scored 18 points—with 15 coming in the opening half—and Rickey Ballard also posted 18 points for the Royals.
The Royals also received 16 points and eight rebounds from Avantae Parker, while Nasir Mann added 14 points and seven assists. BYU ultimately outscored Queens 36-24 in the paint to pull away.
Defensively, the Cougars aimed their game plan at containing the visitors around the basket, where the Royals typically generated roughly 50 points per outing. That strategy successfully limited Queens to 24 paint points, though Leonard’s group responded by shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc, hitting 14 of 34 long-range attempts.
After Queens opened the second half with back-to-back triples to trim the gap to 54-48, Kohler answered with a corner 3-pointer. Later in the period, a 13-0 run sparked by a Pickens three-point play restored a comfortable cushion for the home side.
Latter-day Saint connections in Provo
Queens head coach Grant Leonard drew attention on the sideline by wearing a white sweater featuring pictures of three former Queens players and the phrase “Latter-day Royals.” Leonard explained postgame that the attire honored the program’s connection to the LDS Church through former players Josh Van Weezep, Jaxon Pollard and Gus Larson.
“When kids go on a mission and they come back, they’ve done stuff in life that a lot of our kids don’t understand, so the adversity they hit during these missions is unbelievable,” Leonard told Yahoo Sports.
Tonight is the first recorded instance of BYU getting multiple 3-pointers from seven different players. BYU has had six players make multiple 3s in the same game on three different occasions–most recently in the aforementioned Big 12 tourney game v. Iowa State in March of 2025.
“When those kids come into our program, they’re always an unbelievable leader and a voice of reason, so I’ve just been appreciative of their maturity, their work ethic, their intellect and the way they communicate.”
Leonard also highlighted his longstanding friendships with BYU assistant Chris Burgess and director of recruiting Justin Young, alongside former BYU director of basketball operations Bobby Horodyski, who transitioned to Leonard’s coaching staff in Provo. Looking forward, Leonard used his postgame availability to extend an open invitation to prospective players from the faith.
Not only did BYU hit a season-high 17 three-pointers tonight v. Queens, but seven different players had multiple 3s. Before tonight, the last time BYU made 17 triples in a game: Mar. 13, 2025 v. Iowa State in the Big 12 tourney (18 3s).
Next up, No. 23 BYU hosts Montana State on Thursday at 7 p.m. MST.
