BYU's Nick Emery reprimanded by WCC for punch

BYU guard Nick Emery was "reprimanded" by the West Coast Conference on Thursday afternoon.

The freshman guard was ejected in the second half of Wednesday's 83-75 loss to Utah for punching Utes guard Brandon Taylor.

Emery faces the automatic one-game suspension by the NCAA and will miss BYU's game against Weber State on Saturday. Emery apologized in a statement released by the WCC.

“I apologize to Brandon Taylor for the incident that happened in the game last night. He’s a great competitor and I got caught up in the intensity of the game and let my emotions get the best of me. I also want to apologize to Coach [Larry] Krystkowiak, his team, the fans of both schools, and my teammates and coaches. I regret what happened and will definitely learn from this experience. I’ll continue to play with passion to help our team but will do better in representing myself, the team and BYU.”

It's unclear what additional punishments, if any, Emery has received.

The 6-foot-4 Emery, who joined the program following a two-year mission, is averaging 14.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He rejoins the Cougars for Wednesday night's game against Utah State.