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Chase Fischer locked in and took over, scoring BYU's final 12 points to beat a physical and relentless Virginia Tech squad.
So, naturally his postgame thoughts were on the other end of the spectrum of shouldering the weight of responsibility as a senior with killer instincts.
"I don't honestly think about it too much. I don't know, I'm just kind of a free-flowing human," Fischer said.
In a game with the thinnest of margins, Fischer came up big with 24 points and six rebounds to help the Cougars edge past Virginia Tech, 80-77 and advance in the NIT.
The Cougars started off hot, with a pair of shots from behind the arc by Fischer and Nick Emery putting BYU up 7-0 in the early going.
But struggles with point-blank finishes and from the free-throw line hurt BYU's advantage. The Cougars went on a freezing cold 2 of 9 stretch as Virginia Tech climbed to its first lead of the game with 5:22 left in the first half.
The Hokies weren't backing down from a raucous crowd, repeatedly attacking the basket and forcing BYU to defend relentless waves of offense.
"You can tell every game that they're in is going to be a junkyard battle," Fischer said. "They've got some physical dudes."
Despite their physicality, Virginia Tech settled for long, tough jumpers repeatedly in the first half, finishing the game an ugly 22 percent from behind the arc.
A pair of threes to close the first half from Zac Seljaas and Fischer gave the Cougars a 38-34 lead at the break.
As the second half wore on, Virginia Tech started to find their shooting rhythm, Seth Allen hitting a big three with 9:55 left to give the Hokies a 57-54 lead. Allen finished the game with 22 points, shooting a team-high 2 of 5 from three.
The Hokies' size began to wear on a BYU front court, Nate Austin forced to sit for long stretches in the second half after amassing four fouls, while Virginia Tech forward Kerry Blackshear scored 11 of his 13 points in the closing half.
BYU coach Dave Rose complimented Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams' tenacity to drive his players at the Cougars over and over.
"I know what he wants his guys to do and how they want to play. They're aggressive and physical," Rose said. "They didn't back down one bit."
As the waning minutes were bogged down in a fouling contest, the Cougars started to clean up their act from the line. They finished the game with a 71 percent margin on 24 of 34 converted free throws after starting only five of 11.
A behind-the-arc foul from Virginia Tech forward Zach LeDay seemed to jumpstart BYU, Seljaas converting three easy ones from the stripe before Fischer's hot stretch, giving the Cougars a 60-58 lead with 8:35 left.
The teams battled down to the wire, but a tough Kyle Davis rebound kept the BYU lead at 77-75 with 25 seconds left.
Fischer had the final say, sinking two final free throws to ice the game for BYU.
Kyle Collinsworth, who finished with a double-double of 18 points and 10 assists, said the Cougars chose to "create a new opportunity" after missing out on the NCAA Tournament, focusing holistically on the NIT.
"Maybe in the Tournament, we'd play one game and be done," Collinsworth said. "Here, we might get to play five."
Next up for the Cougars is a home date Tuesday with either Wagner or Creighton, which play Sunday at noon in another second round game.
Rose said he was impressed after the game, watching a pair of teams that don't want to their season to end, even if the NIT is far from the glitz and glamor of the Final Four.
"That's the part of this thing I'm really excited for," Rose said. "I'm excited to watch these guys battle."
Twitter: @BrennanJSmith —
Storylines
R Senior Chase Fischer scores BYU's final 12 points to take a tough 80-77 win over Virginia Tech.
• BYU holds Virginia Tech to only 22-percent shooting from the 3-point line.
• The Cougars advance to face either Creighton or Wagner on Tuesday in Provo.