BYU women’s basketball stays undefeated at home with 69-50 win over LMU
The Cougars cruised to a 69- 50 win over Loyola Marymount on Saturday, winning 11 straight at the Marriott Center dating back to January 2020.
“We have a lot of different players who can step up with their matchups,” BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. “The other night it was Lauren (Gustin). Tonight, I thought Tegan (Graham) did a really good job. Sara (Hamson) was really active, Paisley (Johnson Harding) did a good job with her matchups. That’s what makes this team so good.”
Paisley Harding had 14 points for the night and was the highest scorer in the game. Tegan Graham finished with 13 points, including three 3-pointers.
Maria Albiero and Sara Hamson both added nine points to the final score. Shaylee Gonzales had eight points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals for a well-rounded stat line.
The Cougars collectively had 20 assists and 32 points in the paint.
“We’re all threats on the court,” Graham said. “We have a lot of different weapons and a lot of different skills. I think it’s really hard when we’re moving the ball like that to try and take away what we want.”
All the starters scored for BYU in the first half to create a 37-21 lead at the break, and the Cougars had 14 points off of fast breaks. Hamson had two blocks at the half, while Kaylee Smiler and Gonzales both had one.
BYU came out on fire in the second half and scored eight points in the first two minutes. Gonzales made both of her free throws, Harding made back-to-back jumpers and Hamson made a fast-break layup.
In the fourth period, Kyra Beckman, Tahlia White and Malli Peri had playing time and scored 11 points in the last 10 minutes of the game. Kayla Belles-Lee, a transfer from the University of Michigan, scored two points with a minute to spare, helping the team to a 19-point lead.
The Cougars continue to hold on to second place in the West Coast Conference. Their next game is in California against the University of the Pacific on Feb. 11 at 8 p.m MST.
