No. 20 BYU Has No Problem With Weber St. In 72-57 Win

Trent Plaisted overcomes slow start, finishes with 14 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots

Dec. 5, 2007

PROVO, Utah (AP) - Trent Plaisted had 14 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots to overcome a slow start on offense and lead No. 20 BYU past Weber State 72-57 on Wednesday night.

Sam Burgess and Jonathan Tavernari scored five points each during a balanced 22-6 first-half run that opened a commanding 19-point lead.

Burgess finished with a game-high 16 points for BYU (7-1), which won its 35th straight home game, the second-longest home winning streak in the country.

Weber State (2-5) dropped to 0-17 at the Marriott Center in Provo. The series began in 1973.

Freshman center Trevor Morris scored all of his season-high 12 points in the second half to lead Weber State.

Tavernari and Lee Cummard added 14 points apiece for BYU.

Plaisted struggled to get shots in the first half and scored five points, but BYU went to him immediately to open the second half. He made a layup on the team's first possession and scored its first six points, including a thundering dunk that opened a 48-27 lead.

Plaisted added two blocked shots during the run.

Chris Collinsworth put back a miss for a 60-38 lead and BYU cruised.

BYU now can get back to playing highly ranked teams. BYU beat then-No. 6 Louisville on Nov. 23 and lost to No. 1 North Carolina the next day after leading much of the game.

The Cougars play No. 9 Michigan State on Saturday for its third game against a team ranked in the top 10 in 13 days.

The game is scheduled to be played on a neutral court, EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, home of the Utah Jazz.

Michigan State beat BYU last year on a neutral court, the Palace at Auburn Hills, home of the Detroit Pistons.