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Provo • Freshman Nick Emery and sophomore Jake Toolson combined for 43 points and BYU overcame a sluggish first half to roll past Arizona Christian 103-75 in a men's college basketball exhibition game on Friday night at the Marriott Center.
Emery scored 20 points in his first game back from an LDS Church mission to Germany and Toolson added 23 on 8-for-11 shooting.
"I felt pretty good," Emery said. "That was my very first collegiate game and the nerves are finally out."
The game was tied 44-44 at halftime and the visiting Firestorm led early in the second half, but BYU put together an 18-0 run to take control of the contest.
Five different BYU players scored during the run from the 16:48 mark to the 13:54 mark of the second half.
Cory Calvert and freshman Jakob Hartsock added 12 points apiece for BYU, which saw 11 players get into the scoring column.
The Cougars played without starters Kyle Collinsworth (knee tendinitis), Chase Fischer (quad contusion) and Corbin Kaufusi (hamstring) and redshirt freshman Jordan Chatman (ankle).
BYU made 18 of 35 3-point attempts.
Kyle Davis, a transfer from Utah State, left the game in the first half after twisting his right ankle, but returned and finished with nine points and six rebounds in his first game as a Cougar. Jamal Aytes, the transfer from UNLV, also twisted an ankle and left the game with seven rebounds and two points.
Arizona Christian is an NAIA school from Phoenix. The Firestorm lost 82-72 to Dixie State in St. George on Thursday night and were led by Chris Sterling with 18 points.
ACU shot 52 percent from the field, including 47 percent from the 3-point range, in the first half before running out of gas in the second half and finishing at 45 percent.
The Cougars shot 55 percent, including 51.4 precent from long range.
Toolson (11) and Emery (15) combined for 26 points in the first half. Mike Navar led UCA with 14 at the half but finished with just 16.
"I think we just played BYU basketball in the second half, started having fun," Emery said.
The Cougars return to action on Nov. 7 against Alaska in another exhibition game at the Marriott Center.
Twitter: @drewjay