PROVO, Utah – BYU basketball cruised to 3-0 on the season after a blowout victory over Queens University from Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Cougars defeated the Royals 99-55.

Final: #BYU 99, Queens 55.

Big night for Dawson Baker.

22 points
8-10 FGs
6-7 3 PT
2 assists
1 steal
1 rebound
18 mins#BYUHoops

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 14, 2024

Junior guard Dawson Baker scored a personal best at BYU with 22 points on 8-10 shooting from the field and 6-7 from three-point range in 18 minutes of action.

Keba Keita recorded a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Star guard Egor Demin had a quiet night by his standards, with 14 points, five assists, and three rebounds in 27 minutes.

Here’s a recap from the quick game that ended at 8:47 p.m. (MST) on a night where the game tipped at 7:05 p.m.

Starting Lineup

BYU will start Egor Demin, Richie Saunders, Trevin Knell, Kanon Catchings, and Keba Keita for the third game to open the season. Dallin Hall, who Kevin Young referred to last week as BYU’s “starting point guard,” remains out.

First Half

15:55 – BYU jumped out to a 9-0 lead that included a “Bingo” three as Keba Keita gathered an offensive rebound and found a wide-open Trevin Knell for three.

Bingo! Trevin Knell knocks down a three after a Keba Keita offensive rebound.#BYU leads Queens 9-0 to start.#BYUHoops

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 14, 2024

BYU started the game, shooting 71% from the field, while Queens was 13% (1-8). BYU 12, Queens 2.

12:57 – BYU popped off a 12-0 run, forcing Queens head coach Grant Leonard to burn a timeout. Kevin Young utilized a lineup that featured Egor Demin and Dawson Baker in the backcourt, with Fousseyni Traore at the five. BYU 21, Queens 2.

21-2 start for #BYU 🏀

I think it’s safe to say that we’ll be seeing the full roster tonight with the way things are going. #BYUhoops

— Matthew Baiamonte (@baiamontematt) November 14, 2024

10:18 – BYU fans began clapping for Queens after the Royals hit a three to end a 19-0 BYU run. The Royals are on the second night of a back-to-back. BYU 28, Queens 5.

6:00 – Mihailo Boskovic made a nifty reverse layup move as he did against Central Arkansas in the opener. BYU reached 40 points before Queens hit double-figures. BYU 40, Queens 8.

2:53 – Queens knocked down five 3-pointers to trim BYU’s lead down to 25.

BYU’s Trevin Knell opened the game, shooting 5-5 from the field and 4-4 from three. BYU 48, Queens 23.

4.6 – BYU forced a Queens turnover, and Kevin Young called a timeout to set up a final play to close out the first half. BYU 51, Queens 26.

HALF: BYU 51, Queens 26.

Demin tried to pass the ball to Trevin Knell, but it got deflected. Keba Keita gathered the loose ball and couldn’t knock down the shot.

Despite the big lead, BYU didn’t close out the half efficiently. They had seven turnovers and only shot 50% from the free-throw line.

Second Half

15:46 – Keba Keita reached 12 rebounds by the first media timeout. He’s pulled down double-digit rebound totals in all three of BYU’s games this season.

He’s the first BYU player to have three consecutive double-digit rebound totals in games since Fousseyni Traore did it in 2021-22. BYU 60, Queens 29.

11:46 – BYU opened up the second half, shooting 50% from the field and three-point range. They outrebounded the Royals 15-3 in the first eight minutes of the half.

It’s good to see Dawson Baker settling in on the offensive end. He’s having a nice game. Kevin Young has high expectations for him this season.#BYU #BYUHoops

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 14, 2024

Dawson Baker reached double-figures in scoring at 11 points. BYU 75, Queens 42.

11:16 – Free chicken! Queens guard Bryce Cash missed a pair of free throws to give fans some free Chick-fil-A. BYU 75, Queens 45.

All 10 #BYU players who have seen the court tonight have scored.

There is so much versatility on the offensive end. It will pay dividends later in the season. #BYUhoops

— Matthew Baiamonte (@baiamontematt) November 14, 2024

6:59 – Dawson Baker knocked down a three in transition, giving BYU a 40-point lead.

Mawot Mag had some of his best minutes as a Cougar, delivering “Mag Plays” with a physical rebound at the glass. BYU 88, Queens 48.

6:05 – Freshman Brody Kozlowski from Corner Canyon High School checks into the ball game for his first game action as a BYU Cougar.

1:34 – BYU checked in the entire roster available tonight as walk-on Townsend Tripple got his first minutes. He was on the court with fellow walk-on Jared McGregor, preferred walk-on Max Triplett, Kozlowski, and freshman guard Elijah Crawford.

Next Up

BYU basketball will host the Idaho Vandals from the Big Sky Conference on Saturday at 1 p.m. (MST) at the Marriott Center. The game will be televised on ESPN+ and heard on KSL NewsRadio.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.

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