The BYU women’s basketball team defeated UVU 68-50 at the UCCU center Friday night to open its regular season. Senior Makenzi Pulsipher and junior Cassie Broadhead were both double-digits scorers, leading the team to a blowout victory.
“I thought Cassie and Makenzi did a nice job, fighting and taking over the game,” BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. “I’m happy for the win. We played really well the last four minutes before the half and right at the end of the third quarter, that was the difference of the game.”
Pulsipher scored 21 points, shooting a perfect 11-11 from the free throw line. Broadhead also added 17 points for BYU.
In the first quarter, BYU battled back and forth with the Wolverines. The scored was tied 13-13.
The Cougars shot 53.3 percent from the field with 12 points in the paint. But that wasn’t enough. BYU struggled to find an offensive rhythm. It wasn’t until there was only one-minute left on the clock when BYU gained a lead over the Wolverines in the first half.
Although the Cougars spent 8:35 of the half trailing, they led 36-33 at the half.
At the beginning of the second half, the Cougars continued battling with the Wolverines. Although Kalani Purcell scored for BYU at the start of the third quarter, the Cougars went on a two and a half minute dry spell before they found their momentum again.
BYU fed off its offensive momentum in the fourth quarter with layups from sophomore MaCayla Hanks, Purcell, Broadhead, Pulsipher, and Nielson giving them a 22-point lead.
BYU spent 28 of the game’s 40 minutes in the lead. The Cougars generated 10 fast break points, 32 points off of turnovers, and 34 points in the paint.
The team returns to the Marriott Center next Saturday, Nov. 19 against Oklahoma.
