Laramie, Wyo. » More evidence came Saturday that this BYU basketball team is special, and not just because the Cougars improved to 25-3 for the first time in school history.

Since when do 22-point wins at Wyoming not leave the coaching staff ecstatic? The bar is that high for the No. 16 Cougars, it appears.

The Cougars pounded the Cowboys 85-63 at a two-thirds empty Arena-Auditorium as a wicked winter storm was pounding the high plains of southeastern Wyoming, but coach Dave Rose wasn't altogether pleased, especially with the way his offense performed in the first half.

"We can still get better," he said. "We have to get better."

Announced attendance was 5,151 -- they must have counted everybody twice -- and the Cougars had to rely on themselves to provide some energy in the eerily quiet Double-A. It was especially silent in the early going, when Wyoming missed its first eight shots and the Cougars jumped out to a 10-0 lead.

While improving to 10-2 in Mountain West Conference play and staying within a half-game of league leading New Mexico (11-2), which barely held off Air Force at home, the Cougars beat the Cowboys for the 11th straight time.

Tyler Haws and Jimmer Fredette scored 22 points apiece to lead the Cougars, and Jonathan Tavernari chipped in 17. Haws was 10-for-10 from the free-throw line, part of BYU's 20-for-24 free-throw shooting.

"We came up with a lot of empty possessions offensively, but I really felt that we did a good job down the stretch of just kind of taking it possession-by-possession, and we got a nice lead," Rose said.

But it wasn't as easy as the final score makes it appear.

Wyoming's Ryan Dermody hit a three-pointer with 10 minutes, 45 seconds remaining in the second half to trim the Cougar lead to 59-51, and the sparse crowd finally had a reason to get into the game. But after a timeout, Tavernari hit a three-pointer from the corner off a set play, and Charles Abouo followed with a run-out dunk 36 seconds later.

Wyoming's Desmar Jackson, who had a career-high 26 points, made a three-point play after Abouo's dunk, but the Cougars then reeled off an 11-0 run, and it was suddenly garbage time with five minutes left.

"Our kids have been good [at not panicking when teams make a run]," Rose said. "They have responded well and they know what I am thinking. I think most of them understand, because we have been through this before."

Prior to Saturday, BYU's best record after 28 games was 24-4 in 1979-80 and 1987-88.

"BYU is very talented, and they're experienced," said Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer. "They have four guys on the perimeter who can all handle the ball, shoot, and take the ball to the basket."

Also Saturday, Tavernari became the winningest player in school history, having played in his 98th win. Lee Cummard has 97.

"Today was a great example of how we play," Tavernari said "... But it's the end of [February], and we still have things we need to improve."

While the offense was clicking like it has the past two games (43.9 percent shooting), the defense was solid. The Cowboys shot just 40.7 percent, and committed 12 turnovers to BYU's six.

drew@sltrib.com