PROVO, Utah – Four players scored in double figures as the BYU women’s basketball team advanced in the 2013 WNIT with a 69-58 victory over the visiting San Diego State Aztecs on Saturday at the Marriott Center.

“San Diego State is a very good team,” BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. “I have a lot of respect for them. I was proud of how our team handled their pressure tonight. This was the first night in a long time we had the balanced scoring I had hoped for all season. It’s a great win for us.”

Kim Parker Beeston led BYU with 17 points. Also in double figures were Haley Steed, Stephanie Vermunt Seaborn and Jennifer Hamson with 13, 12 and 10, respectively. Hamson added a team-high and career-high 17 rebounds for her sixth double-double this season and second straight.

The Cougars shot 43.8 percent compared to San Diego State’s 32.3 while pulling down 41 boards to the Aztecs’ 33.

BYU’s Keilani Unga kicked off the scoring with an easy layup, followed by a basket from Jennifer Hamson to give the Cougars a 4-0 lead. Chelsea Hopkins hit a 3-pointer for San Diego State to cut the lead to one before Beeston put BYU back in the lead, 7-3, with a 3-pointer of her own.

The Aztecs outscored BYU 9-3 from there to take a 12-10 lead. The Cougars responded a few minutes later with an 8-0 run to go back on top, 20-14.

BYU held San Diego State scoreless for the last 2:36 of the half to hold a two-point lead, up 28-26 as they headed into the locker room.

Both teams traded baskets to start the second half until three-straight 3-pointers from Stephanie Seaborn, Beeston and Seaborn again gave BYU some more breathing room and a 42-32 lead with 14 minutes to play.

Continuing the scoring streak, BYU scored five more points to cap a 14-0 run before the Aztecs scored again after being held scoreless for six minutes.

With under seven minutes to play, the Aztecs pulled within three, but the Cougars went on a 6-0 run to prevent a comeback and take a 58-49 lead with 5:19 to play. 

BYU took a 10-point lead with two minutes left and the Aztecs cut it to five but, with under a minute left, San Diego State was forced to foul and the Cougars won the game on a 6-0 run, all coming at the free-throw line.

The Cougars now wait to hear where they’ll be playing and who their opponent is in the Third Round.

Postgame Notes

Team

• Back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers gave BYU its first double-figure lead of the game at 42-32 with 14:19 left in the second half. The three treys were part of a 14-0 Cougar run.
• BYU outrebounded the Aztecs 41-33 and outscored in the paint 20-18.
• The Cougars led 17-12 in assists and shot 43.8 percent from the field compared to San Diego State’s 32.3 percent.
• BYU’s largest lead of the game came with 12:02 left in the second half when the Cougars led by 15.
• Four Cougars scored in double figures for the sixth time this season.

Player

• Jennifer Hamson led the Cougars with a career-high 17 rebounds. She also contributed 10 points for her sixth double-double of the season and second straight, and five blocks, tying her season high. She tied her career high of two assists.
• Kim Parker Beeston was the first to hit double figures with a long jumper at 8:26 in the second half. She finished with 17 points.
• Haley Steed finished with 13 points and six assists to lead the team.
• Stephanie Seaborn scored 12 points and had four assists.
• Keilani Unga tied her career high of four assists and also had eight points.

After a 69-54 victory over Idaho State, the BYU women’s basketball team (22-10) advanced to the second round of the 2013 Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). The Cougars are set to host former Mountain West Conference foe San Diego State (27-6) Saturday at 2 p.m. MDT in the Marriott Center. The game will air live on BYUtv.

Ticket Prices
Adult General Admission: $6
All-Sport Pass Holder: Free
Student General Admission: $5 (elementary through college)
Courtside: $20
All tickets may be ordered at the Marriott Center Ticket Office, by calling 1-800-322-BYU1 or through http://www.byutickets.com/

BYU Capsule
•The Cougar team has outrebounded its opponents in 20 of the 32 games played.
•The BYU bench has outscored the opponent’s bench 557-430.
•When comparing points in the paint, the Cougars have scored 814 points to 666 from opponents.
•BYU has had a halftime lead in all but eight games to date (vs. Gonzaga at WCC semifinals, vs. Gonzaga, vs. SD, vs. SMC, at USF, at Gonzaga, vs. Seattle and at Washington State).
•In only six contests (vs. Gonzaga at WCC semifinals, vs. Gonzaga, at USF, at Gonzaga, at Boston College and at Washington State) the Cougars did not record more assists than their opponents.
•Balanced scoring has added to the team’s success this year. To date, three players have put up double figures in points in 13 games and four players finished with double-digit scoring in five games (at POR, at PEP, vs. PEP, vs. Tulsa, vs. UCSB)

• Head coach: Jeff Judkins (Utah, ‘78), is in his 12th season
• Team’s leading scorer: #5 Jennifer Hamson, 11.2 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #5 Hamson, 8.3 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #33 Steed, 7.5 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #33 Steed, 2.1 spg

BYU’S PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
#33 Haley Steed– (5-4 guard, GS.) 10.6 ppg; 4.1 rpg; 7.5 apg
#4 Kim Parker Beeston– (5-11 guard, Jr.) 9.8 ppg; 4.0 rpg; 2.3 apg
#12 Stephanie Vermunt Seaborn – (6-0 guard/forward, Jr.) 6.8 ppg; 2.8 rpg; 1.7 apg
#45 Keilani Unga– (6-2 forward, Sr.) 7.3 ppg; 4.6 rpg; 1.0 apg
#5 Jennifer Hamson– (6-7 center, Jr.) 11.2 ppg; 8.3 rpg; 0.7 apg

San Diego State Capsule
San Diego State finished the 2012-13 regular season with a 26-6 overall record including a 15-1 mark in the Mountain West Conference. The Aztecs captured the league’s regular season crown. They lost 76-70 to Fresno State in the finals of the conference championship last week. In the 2013 WNIT, the Aztecs advanced to the second round with a 69-46 win over UC Santa Barbara. San Diego State returns nine letterwinners including four starters from last year’s squad that tallied a 25-7 record and a first place finish in the MWC with a 12-2 mark.

• Head coach: Beth Burns is in her 15th season at San Diego State
• Team’s leading scorer: #54 Courtney Clements, 17.9 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #1 Chelsea Hopkins, 8.1 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #1 Hopkins, 6.8 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #1 Hopkins, 2.2 spg

Series History
BYU leads the series 28-13.
In Provo, the Cougars are 16-3.
Coach Judkins is 16-5 against the Aztecs.

Last Meeting
These two former league foes last played twice during the 2010-11 season with BYU sweeping the series. In the game played  in Provo on Feb. 26, the Cougars narrowly defeated the Aztecs 56-52 battling back from a 16-point deficit. Senior Coriann Fraughton led the Cougar effort with 10 points and eight rebounds. Jennifer Hamson had five points, pulled down three boards, one block and one steal while Haley Steed contributed seven points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Kim Parker Beeston came off the bench, scored eight points, grabbed three boards and dished out two assists. BYU shot 39 percent from the field, 19 percent from three-point range and 72 percent from the free throw line. The Aztecs were led by Jessika Bradley, who had game highs in points and rebounds with 17 and 11 respectively. Sajoyia Griffin contributed 11 points for San Diego State. Courtney Clements finished the game with five points and five rebounds. SDSU shot 31 percent from the field, 25 percent from the three-point line and 74 percent from the charity stripe.

Up Next
A win over San Diego State on Saturday would send the Cougar women to the third round of the 2013 WNIT. They would play the winner of the game between Saint Mary’s and Seattle and the winner of the game between Wyoming and Northern Colorado. The third round is scheduled to be played between March 27-29 at campus sites.