BYU is On Top

Until Thursday the team that will sit atop the WCC standings is a team that wasn't a part of the standings two years ago. It's a team that has never been atop the WCC. The Brigham Young Cougars have a half game lead over the Gonzaga Bulldogs for first place.

Saturday afternoon's 82-64 win over the Santa Clara Broncos in Santa Clara, California propelled the Cougars to the top of the standings. It also gives the Cougars their first RPI top-100 win on the season.

These two teams figured to be, along with Saint Mary's, battling for second place behind the top-10 Zags. However, now it's the Cougars that hold first place.

Santa Clara, true to form, lived behind the arc. Raymond Cowels III did the damage from deep in the early going. Then Kevin Foster took over, set the WCC all time record for made threes in a career, and led the Broncos early in the second half.

Over the course of the second half Santa Clara couldn't hit shots and BYU could. The Cougars turned a back and forth, close game into an 18 point road victory. Five Cougars scored in double figures led by Tyler Haws' game high 24. Matt Carlino, Brandon Davies, Brock Zylstra and Anson Winder also scored in double figures. Five Cougars scored in double figures; only six Broncos scored at all.

BYU now has a quality win, a 4-0 start in the WCC, a league leading status and a date upcoming with the reigning league leader Saint Mary's Gaels in Provo on the 16th.