Ford scores 23 as Saint Mary’s beats BYU 88-66

Ford scores 23 as Saint Mary’s beats BYU 88-66

MORAGA, Calif. (AP) — Jordan Ford scored 23 points and Malik Fitts added 18 with nine rebounds to help Saint Mary’s beat BYU on Saturday night.

Tanner Krebs had 14 points and seven rebounds for Saint Mary’s (10-7, 1-1 West Coast Conference).

Fitts scored the Gaels’ first 10 points — including three 3-pointers in an 82-second span — in a 17-4 spurt that made it 42-29 before TJ Haws hit a 3 to pull the Cougars within 10 at the break. Yoeli Childs scored BYU’s first eight second-half points to trim the deficit to 49-40 with 16:55 to play but Saint Mary’s scored 10 of the next 13 points to push the lead into double figures for good.

Childs had 21 points and 12 rebounds, his 10th double-double this season, and Haws scored 20 for BYU (9-8, 1-1).

Saint Mary’s shot 55 percent from the field, committed just seven turnovers and had 10 steals.