A buzzer-beater, a broken streak, and the first Big 12 win in program history made for an exciting Saturday afternoon in Provo as BYU outpaced the Cincinnati Bearcats 68-58.
'We know that every single team is going to punch. It's like a fight, and you have to punch back, and you can't take more punches than you land.' said head coach Amber Whiting after the game.
The first quarter especially proved to be a back-and-forth defensive battle with the Cougars securing a one-point lead thanks to seven points from Freshman guard, Amari Whiting.
A strong second quarter helped BYU stretch that lead to 12 points behind help from a plethora of players including 5 three-pointers, 4 of which came off of assists. This type of ball movement is the type of basketball that the team has been aiming for all season long.
'I feel this was one of our better games sharing the ball,' commented junior guard Lauren Davenport. 'I feel like a lot of us penetrated the paint, kicked out for the three, and we did a really good job with that.'
18 assists on 25 made baskets is an impressive stat that the Cougars will look to build on as the season continues. This marks the fifth time this season that at least 70% of the Cougars' buckets have come off of assists, and only the second time in conference play.
BYU's offense ran like a well-oiled machine Saturday night, as Kailey Woolston poured in 12 points, 3 of which came on a 3rd quarter buzzer beater, on top of Davenport's and Calvert's 11 points. Lauren Gustin also ended the night with 11 points while adding 9 rebounds, which ends her double-double streak at 10 games.
Up next, the Cougars continue conference play against Oklahoma State on Wednesday at 7:30 pm ET in Stillwater, Oklahoma where the Cougars will look to keep it rolling and Gustin will look to start her new double-double streak.