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Provo • BYU's play in the first half of the West Coast Conference season hasn't been what seniors Kyle Collinsworth, Chase Fischer and Nate Austin envisioned it would be in their final seasons in Provo, but all three said recently the team is still united and focused on finishing strong.

The Cougars were 5-3 in league play, 14-7 overall, heading into Thursday's late game against Loyola Marymount at the Marriott Center.

"I think we have a lot of adjustments to make, but our heads are in the right place," Fischer said Wednesday. "We are together, and that's the most important thing. A lot of teams can hit adversity. Like last year's team. We were in a similar stretch with a similar record, and we reeled off [six] straight, beat Gonzaga and had a good tournament run. So I think it is kind of make or break right now, but it is going to be a good last third of the season, because our team is very together."

Hearing jeers

During BYU's 91-80 win over Loyola Marymount last week, several LMU students heckled BYU's Collinsworth the entire game, and at one point told him to forget about getting another triple double. Collinsworth did just that, getting the 10th of his career and second straight at Gersten Pavilion. He said he heard the naysayers.

"I looked in the crowd and just started laughing," he said. "Sometimes you can hear it. Sometimes [the gyms] are so small that it echoes and you can't hear a thing."

Judkins: Play game

Count former University of Utah basketball star Jeff Judkins, now the women's basketball coach at BYU, among those disappointed by Utah's cancellation of December's scheduled rivalry basketball game in Provo.

Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak will pay BYU $80,000 out of his own pocket because he does not want to play game, thus ending a series that has been played every year since 1944.

"I am really discouraged," Judkins said. "That's a game I always looked forward to as a player. As a coach, it was a little bit harder [to get up for], because you understand the whole season, and what you are trying to do. But as a player, I really enjoyed that game. That was a game I looked forward to a lot.

"I think both basketball programs are very good. It is not like one is way superior over the other one," Judkins continued. "So they are both good. I am hoping that we will just miss one year of it, and we will be back."

Escaping the storm

BYU's Fischer is from Ripley, W.Va., one of many Eastern cities that was buried in snow by winter storm Jonas last weekend. Fischer says his parents own a place in Florida and headed there for the week with the family bulldog, Lola, who is 9 years old.

When they returned, they found some frozen pipes, but no serious damage.

As for Lola, "she's really fat, but we love her. She's the best," Fischer said.

Briefly

Officials for Thursday's game were Verne Harris, Shawn Lehigh and Tom O'Neill. … The Cougars' week of rinse and repeat continues on Saturday when they play host to Pepperdine at the Marriott Center. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. and the game will be televised by ESPN2. … Collinsworth started his 116th game, tying Lee Cummard for the 10th most starts in BYU history.

drew@sltrib.com Twitter: @drewjay