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Fredette, BYU defeat Arizona State 81-68

Dec 9, 2009 - 5:36 AM By DOUG ALDEN AP Sports Writer

PROVO, Utah(AP) -- Jimmer Fredette scored 10 points and set the BYU record for consecutive free throws made as the Cougars beat Arizona State 81-68 Tuesday night.

Fredette went 8-for-8 from the foul line, giving him 35 in a row and breaking Michael Smith's 20-year-old school record of 32 straight. He also scored in double figures for the 22nd straight time for the Cougars (7-1), who overcame a shooting slump midway through the second half and held off Arizona State (6-3) in the final few minutes.

Tyler Haws had 17 points and 11 rebounds for BYU and Jackson Emery also scored 17, including five 3-pointers.

Derek Glasser had 22 points to lead the Sun Devils, who rallied with a barrage of 3-pointers after trailing by as much as 20.

After missing all five 3-pointers they took in the first half, the Sun Devils made 8-of-15 in the second and got within four points with 4:44 left to play. But BYU started hitting shots again and Arizona State couldn't sustain the comeback.

Rihards Kuksiks was the only Arizona State player besides Glasser to score in double figures, finishing with 13 points.

The Sun Devils edged the Cougars last year 76-75 when BYU's shot at the buzzer that would have won it was waved off after a video review. The heartbreaker was the first loss of the season for BYU, which had opened with 10 straight wins.

This one appeared to be heading for another last-minute finish until Haws and Emery hit a couple of outside shots that stalled a frantic comeback by the Sun Devils.

Noah Hartsock, who scored 13 for the Cougars, put BYU up 59-45 on a layup off a pick-and-roll with Jonathan Tavernari, but the Sun Devils surged from there with 10 straight points. Kuksiks started the run with a 3-pointer and Ty Abbott leaped to block a layup by the 6-foot-8 Hartsock.

Abbott completed the run when he broke behind the defense for a layup that pulled Arizona State within 59-53, and the Sun Devils continued to push.

Glasser cut it to 64-60 with foul shots with 4:44 left, but Haws answered for BYU with a 15-foot jumper. After Glasser missed on a drive to the basket, Emery hit another 3-pointer to put the Cougars up 69-60 and start a 7-3 run. Emery added two free throws to put BYU up 73-63 with two minutes to go and the Cougars held on from the foul line.

Fredette needed five free throws to tie Smith's record, set in 1989. He went 4-for-4 from the line in the first half, then added two more early in the second to break the record and put the Cougars up 48-28.