Senior Makenzi Pulsipher dribbles by a Pacific defender. Pulsipher and the Cougars defeated Pacific on Saturday. (Maddi Driggs)
The BYU women's basketball team defeated Pacific 68-50 on Saturday afternoon in the Marriott Center.
The Tigers played a strong game the first half by putting pressure on the Cougars' key players.
'They did a good job tonight of covering Kalani (Purcell) and not letting her get the ball,' BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. 'But Kalani is Kalani - (it was) almost another triple-double tonight.'
Purcell finished the game with 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, but the Cougars struggled in the first half.
'The coaches really emphasized in the half time that we need to bring out more energy,' Purcell said. 'It looked pretty dead and it felt pretty dead to me. I think everyone took that personally.'
The second half brought a new mindset from the Cougars. With three minutes left in the third quarter, Broadhead received a technical foul that changed the game.
'It was a physical game in the first half. A lot of fouls and hand checks. I got a little upset, hit the table, got a technical,' Broadhead said. 'But I think that its a good thing about me, I play really good when I'm mad.'
In the remaining three minutes of the third quarter, Broadhead pushed the ball hard and doubled her points from the first half, ending the game with 23 points.
The Cougars carried the energy through the fourth quarter to push their lead past the Pacific. Kalani, Makenzi Pulsipher, and Shalae Salmon made pivotal steals to contribute to the Cougars' 18.
Judkins attributed the Cougar victory to strong defense and anticipating their opponents' moves.
'Makenzi is real active up there and causes them a lot of problems, and our zone is a lot more aggressive than people think it is,' Judkins said.
The team will take on Santa Clara at the Marriott Center on Thursday at 7 P.M. MST