The BYU women’s basketball team is moving on in the WCC tournament after a 74-59 win Friday against Pepperdine. Next up is No. 4 seed San Francisco on Saturday.
Nate Edwards, BYU Photo
LAS VEGAS — The No. 5-seeded BYU women’s basketball team entered the West Coast Conference tournament on a three-game losing streak and had dropped six of its previous eight games.
But in their 74-59 second-round victory over No. 9 Pepperdine Friday afternoon at Orleans Arena, the Cougars left nothing to chance against a team that surprised them at the Marriott Center on Feb. 9.
“I felt like our girls really came and competed and played for each other. Foul trouble in the first half could have rattled them really easily but they stayed locked in and stayed together and stayed the course. I’m really proud of them.” — BYU coach Amber Whiting
That night, the Waves edged BYU 64-63 in overtime.
“I felt like our girls really came and competed and played for each other,” said coach Amber Whiting. “Foul trouble in the first half could have rattled them really easily but they stayed locked in and stayed together and stayed the course. I’m really proud of them.”
BYU controlled the game both inside and outside and led by as many as 20 points late in the third quarter.
Guard Nani Falatea and Lauren Gustin scored a game-high 23 points apiece. Falatea dished out seven assists and knocked down 4 of 10 3-pointers, while Arielle Mackey-Williams finished with 14 points and Emma Calvert added seven.
Gustin pulled down 18 rebounds, which tied a WCC tournament record.
“Emma and Lauren were dominating inside and that opened things up,” Falatea said. “When they do well, everyone starts collapsing on them and it leaves …read more
Source:: Deseret News – Sports News
