By Melissa Leeper
The Cougars beat UC Riverside 67-53 on Wednesday to improve their record to 6-0 giving this year?s team the best start to a season in BYU women?s basketball history.
?We?re excited that we?re winning,? head coach Jeff Judkins said. ?This team?s really figured out how to win.?
The team certainly has figured out how to beat its opponents. The Cougars have won all six season games as well as two exhibition games. The team has also made school history with the best season start for BYU.
?We?ve got a lot of room to improve in,? Judkins said. ?We?ve just got to keep getting better. I know it?s given us a lot of confidence. We feel like if we can play our game we can beat anybody.?
The strategy seems to be working. UC Riverside was tough competition for the Cougars, but the final score shows BYU?s dominance over the Highlanders. The team hopes the confidence will help them with games later in the season.
Despite early foul trouble, BYU excelled the first half of the game. The team came away with an 11 point lead, 33-22, by the end of the first half. Both Ambrosia Anderson and Lauren Riley had eight points by halftime, leading the Cougar?s scoring.
During the second half the Highlanders came back with a run brining the Cougar lead down to only four points. However, the Cougars fought back with a seven point run.
?I think we?ve done a great job of executing when we need to?on both ends?both defensively and offensively,? Judkins said.
A number of players stepped up during the game to come away with a win.
?I thought Jennie Keele had a really good game for us last night,? Judkins said.
Keele along with Melinda Johnsen were in charge of covering UC Riverside?s star, Kemie Nkele. She averages 15.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. The two held Nkele to only six points in the first half, but foul trouble made the Cougars ease up on the defense and Nkele poured in 20 points by the end of the game.
Keele ended the game with 10 points and three rebounds. Mallary Gillespie also came away with 11 points by the end of the game. Coach Judkins said he?s been looking to a number of players to step up and score for the Cougars.
?It?s been different people each night that?s really helped us win games,? Judkins said.
Anderson also had a great game. The 6-1 forward put up 21 points and got eight rebounds. So far this season, Anderson is averaging 21.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.
?Brosia played like she did the other games,? Judkins said. ?She let the game come to her and scored some baskets for us, and did a nice job on the boards.?
Coach Judkins hopes the team will continue to win and improve.
?As a coach I can?t let our team get complacent,? Judkins said. ?We?ve got to get better everyday.?
The team has another game on Saturday. Northern Arizona will come to Provo to play the Cougars. The game tips off at 2 p.m. in the Marriott Center.