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Provo • The student section, some 5,000 strong, was filled Wednesday night at the Marriott Center.
And that was nearly two hours before the No. 9 Cougars and No. 4 San Diego State tipped off in their epic Mountain West Conference clash in front of what would eventually be a sellout crowd of 22,700.
Sophomore Amber Gregerson said it was worth it, calling it "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a game of this magnitude. You don't want to have say you missed it because you had a big test the next day."
Many of the students camped out Tuesday night in hopes of getting the seats closest to the floor. Doors opened just before 6 p.m. for the 8:15 p.m. contest, creating a mad rush for the prime seats.
Dozens of students brought signs, including one that said, "Don't expect a good night's sleep at this Marriott."
Next up:New Mexico
It doesn't get any easier for the No. 9 Cougars, who travel to New Mexico on Saturday to play the 13-7 Lobos in "The Pit." BYU hasn't won in Albuquerque since 2008, losing two straight in the famed arena that's below ground level.
"That's our challenge," coach Dave Rose said before Wednesday's game against SDSU. "This league is full of challenges. As a coaching staff, you try to address them all. But we've got a group of experienced guards who have been through a lot, and we will rely on those guys to help us out, whatever the situation might be."
Briefly
Elias Sports Bureau reported that Wednesday's game marked the first time in 10 years that a team with a record of 20-0 or better had faced a one-loss team. … The website AnnArbor.com released a survey of voters Wednesday indicating that Connecticut's Kemba Walker has a slight lead over BYU's Jimmer Fredette for National Player of the Year honors. San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard was sixth.