BYU men’s basketball international trip: Milan recap

MILAN, Italy - Following a nine-hour flight from Atlanta to Milan, the BYU men’s basketball team and travel party landed in Milan around 9 a.m. local time on Saturday morning to begin its international tour.

Following a bus ride to the hotel and unpacking their bags, the group took a short walk to explore the city square and take a tour of the Duomi di Milano. The nearly two-hour tour led by a local guide allowed the group to learn more about the cathedral that took over five centuries to complete.

To cap off its first day in Milan, BYU defeated Orange 1 Basket Bassano 100-64 in a game hosted on the outskirts of the city. The Cougars connected on 16 3-pointers as four different players scored in double figures including a team-high 20 from Trevin Knell.

Spencer Johnson, returning to Milan for the first time since completing his two-year mission in the city in 2018, finished with 12 points, eight of those coming in the first quarter. Fousseyni Traore recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Following church on Sunday morning, they made the hour drive to Lake Como to explore the city and take a boat tour. During the tour, they spent two hours on the water learning about the world-renowned villas that are spread throughout the shores on the foothills of the Alps.

The group hosted a fireside for missionaries of the Italy Milan mission on Sunday evening with Johnson speaking along with head coach Mark Pope, Trey Stewart and Dawson Baker.

They will travel to Venice on Monday, August 21, before making the trek to Trieste for their second game of the international tour.