BYU Women’s Basketball opens WCC play with 70-46 rout of USF

BYU Women’s Basketball played its first home game in over two weeks on Monday against San Francisco, beating the Dons 70-46 to open West Coast Conference play with a win.

Shaylee Gonzales led the team in points with 16, while Lauren Gustin had a double-double with 15 points and 17 rebounds. Paisley Harding added 15 points as the other scorer in double digits.

BYU had a 9-0 run early in the game to jump out to a 13-4 lead, with Sara Hamson and Gustin establishing their presence down low early with points in the paint. Gustin nearly had a double-double in the first half alone with nine points and eight rebounds late in the second quarter. The Cougars led 31-23 at the half.

Gustin officially got her double-double early in the second half, and BYU went on a major run in the third quarter to take a double-digit lead. Harding converted an and-one to give the Cougars their largest lead of 16, 46-30, with 4:10 to go in the third.

BYU dominated the game in the paint but struggled to hit from distance early on, missing its first seven 3-pointers. Tegan Graham made the Cougars’ first three in the final minute of the third quarter to take a 20-point lead, 55-35.

With a comfortable lead, BYU head coach Jeff Judkins was able to rotate in several young players to give them experience and time on the court during the fourth quarter.

The Cougars continue WCC play on Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. MST against Santa Clara in the Marriott Center. The game will be broadcast on BYUtv.