In a game that quickly turned into a test of defensive grit, the BYU women's basketball team fell to the Cincinnati Bearcats on Tuesday night at the Marriott Center.
The main contributor to the Bearcats' victory was their star scorer, Mya Perry.
BYU specifically struggled to defend Perry’s 3-point shooting, as she finished the night with five.
Cincinnati coach Katrina Merriweather pointed out that Perry is lethal not only from beyond the arc, but offensively all around.
“She’s a big-time shot-maker,” Merriweather said. “We’ve seen her mid-range, we’ve seen her get to the rim and get to the free throw line. I think she’s one of the best offensive guards in the country.”
Perry ended the game with 32 points, breaking her career high of 31.
The Cougars came out of the gate slowly in the first quarter, a consistent problem since the start of their Big 12 play. This allowed Cincinnati to build its largest lead of the game, 11 points, with about four minutes left in the quarter.
However, major turnovers from the Bearcats in the final three minutes of the quarter shifted the momentum. BYU cut that 11-point deficit to just four.
Six quick buckets came on fast breaks alone.
Olivia Hamlin also played a major role in the offensive surge, scoring 11 of her 16 points in the last minutes of the quarter.
Offensive success from both sides subsided significantly in the second quarter, and heightened defensive pressure took its place. This intensity resulted in five turnovers for Cincinnati and seven for BYU.
BYU ultimately had 19 turnovers once the final whistle blew.
“It’s a thing that’s really hindered us most of the season,” BYU coach Lee Cummard said. “We just got to grow from it.”
Despite Cincinnati’s mistakes, BYU struggled to capitalize. The Cougars scored just four points off turnovers, while the Bearcats scored 10.
Things took a turn for the worse for Cincinnati when standout freshman guard Caliyah Devillasee was taken out of the game for injury.
Cincinnati didn’t let Devillasee’s absence get the better of them.
“I thought we played with an extreme amount of composure,” Merriweather said. “Our five players being able to bring the ball across half court … not turning it over. Those are big accomplishments for us, especially when we are down our point guard.”
The Cougars and the Bearcats were still neck and neck by the end of the third quarter, tied up at 51 points. This marked the fourth tie of the game.
BYU’s post players also faced some foul trouble, with Bolanle Yussuf teetering at four and Lara Rohkohl at three.
It all came down to the final quarter.
BYU star Delaney Gibb sparked the Cougars offensively, scoring 11 of her 20 points in the final quarter.
But a combination of Perry’s unstoppable offensive output, Cincinnati’s rebounding, and continued foul trouble led BYU to come up short.
The Bearcats won 76-67.
Cummard shared his message to the team after the loss.
“What I told them is that we have to own what just happened,” he said. “There’s a clear recipe out there against us right now: drive us, rebound against us, and try to speed them up and force turnovers.”
A quick glance at the box score would prove Cummard correct.
“Usually, when a team dictates the style of play, they’re usually on the successful end. They did more of that than we did tonight,” he continued.
BYU will look to counter that recipe Saturday when it faces Utah on its home court, aiming for a second win over the Utes this season.