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Provo • Before taking a brief break for Christmas, BYU faces UMass.

Before their West Coast Conference showdown against Gonzaga on Saturday, the Cougars must focus on the Minutemen.

BYU and UMass collide Tuesday in a rare matinee at the Marriott Center. Tipoff is noon for two teams headed in the opposite direction.

The Cougars have won five of their last six games, losing only to 14th-ranked Utah along the way. Conversely, the Minutemen have lost four of their last five.

BYU comes off a 79-77 victory over Stanford. Despite playing on an injured ankle, Tyler Haws scored 24 points in 33 minutes.

"It's a little sore," he said afterward. "But I think it'll continue to get better and stronger. It would tighten up a little bit, but I think that was expected."

UMass is coached by Derek Kellogg, a former Memphis assistant who has guided the Minutemen to three straight 20-win seasons.

Last year, UMass went 24-9 and reached the NCAA tournament as a No. 6 seed.

UMass lost three starters this season, but one of the returnees is All-Atlantic 10 center Cady Lalanne. He averages 13.5 points and 9.3 rebounds.

Because of foul trouble, Lalanne wasn't much of a factor in UMass' 105-96 victory over BYU last season in the Hall of Fame Showcase in Springfield.

Kellogg saw it as a signature win.

"I really respect ... Brigham Young," he said at the time. "They're a well-coached, very good team."

Forward Maxie Esho, UMass' top scorer this season, had 12 points and six rebounds in the victory over the Cougars.

"I thought his athleticism in the paint area got us going in the first half," Kellogg. "And not only in the offensive end. He also came up with a couple defensive rebounds."

Esho and Lalanne could create problems for BYU, although UMass is not playing as well as it did last season.

The Minutemen come off an 85-65 loss at Providence, where they were once again inconsistent on offense. In UMass's five losses, it averages 68 points — not a lot for the Minutemen's fast tempo.

"I was disappointed that we didn't put the ball in the basket," Kellogg said after the loss. "... Part of it is making better decisions and part of it is, if you're wide open, it'd be nice to see the basketball go through the hoop." —

BYU vs. UMass

At the Marriott Center

Tipoff • Tuesday, noon

TV • BYU-TV

Radio • 1160-AM, 102.7-FM

Records • BYU 9-3, UMass 6-5

Last meeting •UMass, 105-96 (2013)

About the Cougars • They come off a 79-77 win over Stanford. ... They have lost to San Diego State, Purdue and Utah by a total of 11 points. ... Their top scorers are G Tyler Haws (23.8), G Chase Fischer (14.1) and G Anson Winder (13.3). ... Haws, Fischer and Winder are 85 of 198 on their three-point attempts (.429).

About the Minutemen • They have lost four of their last five games. ... They come off an 85-65 loss to Providence. ... They are 0-3 on the road. ... Their top scorer is senior F Maxie Esho (14.0 ppg). ... Senior C Cady Lalanne averages 13.5 points and 9.3 rebounds. ... As a team, they shoot 29 percent from the three-point line.