By KAREN DUFFIN
Saturday afternoon the women’s basketball team suffered its second loss in a week’s time, falling to Wyoming 70-66.
In one of the most physical games of the season, the Cougars were outrebounded and outscored. Down twelve points at the half, BYU was faced with an uphill battle they were unable to win.
“It was not a good first half because we weren’t with it on either offense or defense,” said Shelby Whiting, a senior from Idaho Falls. “We had to fight the entire second half because they had the lead.”
Senior Kari Gallup attributed the loss to similar factors, saying the team let Wyoming set the pace and played a reactive game.
“We spotted them twelve points before we showed up to play,” Gallup said. “We weren’t aggressive enough and weren’t out to take it in the first half.”
The Cougars came out in the second half ready to play, but it was too late. Gallup, Lori Henry and Barbie Carmichael were key players in the attempted comeback.
The game had more than its usual share of physical play, with more holding and pushing than most games. The team attributed the intensity to the high stakes riding on the outcome of Saturday’s game.
“It was a big game for both of us because it determined where we will be seeded in the WAC Tournament. That is why it was so heated,” Whiting said.
The WAC tournament is March 2 in Las Vegas. The players have high hopes for the tournament, but recognize they have to focus on the next two games if they want to be anything more than tourists in Las Vegas.
“We have to win this week if we want to go to the WAC tournament,” Gallup said.
This weekend’s loss puts BYU into sixth place going into the tournament and Wyoming at fifth. However, the Cougars are trying to keep their heads high despite the loss.
“Everyone’s feeling a little down. We just need to try to stay up because we have to win the next two so we can go to the WAC tournament,” said Angela Burgess, a junior from Irvine, Calif.
The Cougars play two games on the road this week, heading first to Colorado to play Air Force and then to Las Vegas to face UNLV.
