Fousseyni Traore, Trevin Knell help BYU romp past SE Louisiana

Fousseyni Traore and Trevin Knell scored 18 points apiece to lead BYU to a 105-48 victory over Southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday night.

Jaxon Robinson chipped in a career-high 17 points for the Cougars. Spencer Johnson added 11 points and six assists. Six players dished out three or more assists to fuel a balanced offense. BYU had 28 assists on 37 baskets and shot 50.7 percent from the field. The Cougars also controlled the glass, finishing with a 52-32 edge on rebounds.

BYU (3-0) sizzled from the perimeter to overwhelm a Southland Conference opponent for the second time in three games. The Cougars knocked down 15 3-pointers for the second time in three games and shot 41.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Roger McFarlane led the Lions with 14 points. Brody Rowbury added 13 points and Alec Woodard chipped in nine.

Southeastern Louisiana committed 15 turnovers leading to 23 points for BYU. The Lions (1-2) struggled to find a shooting rhythm. They shot 28.6 percent from the field and went 2-for-18 from 3-point range.

Traore and Johnson formed an effective one-two punch on offense early in the first half. The duo combined to score BYU's first six baskets and propelled the Cougars to a quick double-digit lead.

Knell kept fanning the flames from that initial spark. He buried three 3-pointers to highlight a 21-0 run that gave BYU a 32-4 lead midway through the first half.

Southeastern Louisiana struggled to build any rhythm against a stifling BYU defense. The Lions missed nine straight baskets and committed five turnovers over a six-minute stretch, opening the door for the Cougars to blow the game wide open well before halftime.

BYU eventually extended its lead to 50-12 with 2:53 left in the first half on back-to-back jumpers from Robinson.