BYU vs. Westminster Facebook gallery

BYU vs. Westminster Box Score

PROVO, Utah – Senior Kalani Purcell’s double-double led BYU women’s basketball in a 77-59 exhibition win over Westminster on Wednesday at the Marriott Center.

"I was really pleased with our bigs this evening," BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. "This year we have a lot of size and I think it is going to help. It was good to see a lot of the different players get some time on the court as well. Overall, I was happy with the way that we performed and I thought we played really well this evening."

Purcell recorded 11 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals while seniors Cassie Broadhead and Kristine Nielson each tallied 11 points. Freshman Brenna Chase came off the bench to score eight points, four rebounds and four steals as the Cougars shot 56 percent from the field while holding the Griffins to 35 percent during the victory.

Broadhead opened up the game for the Cougars with a basket from under the post. A pair of Makenzi Pulsipher free throws increased the lead 6-2 before Westminster answered with a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one.

Broadhead hit a shot from the arc followed by a pair of Purcell free throws to extend BYU’s advantage 10-5. Pulsipher landed a 3-pointer with 5:40 left on the clock to push the Cougars ahead by eight. The Griffins took the next two baskets before Pulsipher banked another three.  

Sophomore MaCayla Hanks entered the game and hit her first shot of the night to increase BYU’s lead to 17-9 with less than four minutes to go. A layup by Purcell capped off a 10-0 run as the Cougars fueled their 23-9 lead. Despite BYU’s defensive pressure, the Griffins were able to put in a 3-pointer before the first quarter ended in BYU’s favor 23-12.

Nielson scored the Cougars’ first basket of the second quarter as BYU continued to build offensive momentum. Sophomore Haley Rydalch added to the drive with a jump shot to help BYU lead 29-17 with seven minutes to go.

Jasmine Moody and Chase scored on the next two possessions to increase the Cougars’ lead 33-19. The Griffins tried to fight back, but BYU continued to top them as a Broadhead layup pushed the Cougars ahead 39-24 with 2:51 to go in the first half. Pulsipher scored a layup to extended BYU’s lead, 41-24, and close the first half. 

Westminster kicked off the second half on a Sydnee Taylor jumper before Moody’s shot inside the paint generated BYU’s first 20-point lead of the game, 46-26. The Griffins took the next four points before Purcell answered with back-to-back layups to bring the score to 50-30 with seven minutes left in the third quarter.

BYU continued to maintain its margin as Chase scored a layup to put the Cougars up 55-36 with 2:56 to go. She scored again moments later to add to BYU’s 59-38 lead before the Griffins launched a 3-pointer in the last second of the third period.

The Cougars were scoreless during the first two minutes of the fourth quarter until Amanda Wayment jumped in with a shot to again spark BYU’s offensive drive. Freshmen Shalae Salmon and Liz Eaton made their first two baskets of the night to extend the Cougars’ advantage, 67-45. Westminster tried to stop the Cougars with the next two shots, but BYU's offense was too much to handle.

With 3:12 left in the game, Salmon threw in a layup to extend the Cougars’ lead 72-53. The Griffins’ Denise Gonzales fought back by logging Westminster’s final four points, but it wasn’t enough as the Cougars won 77-59. 

In its final exhibiton game, BYU takes on Colorado Mesa University on Friday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. at the Marriott Center. Admission is free, and the game will be broadcast on BYUtv.

BYU begins its season on Friday, Nov. 11, at Utah Valley University before its home opener against No. 18 Oklahoma on Saturday, Nov. 19. 

Postgame Notes

Team

BYU led Westminster 41-24 at the end of the first half after going 17 for 29 from the field to shoot 58.6 percent through 20 minutes of action. Westminster shot 31.0 percent, going 9 for 29 from the field. The Cougars had seven assists, five steals and six turnovers. BYU tallied 20 rebounds to Westminster’s 12 rebounds.

The Cougars finished the game shooting 55.9 percent from the field while the Griffins shot 35.5 percent. BYU had 20 assists while Westminster dished out 14. The Cougars outrebounded the Griffins 44 to 28 and led them in blocks 5-0.

Player Notes

Every player on the BYU women’s basketball team saw time on the court in the Cougars’ first exhibition game against Westminster.

Kalani Purcell had six points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals in the first half. Purcell finished the game with a double-double 11 points and 10 rebounds. She also had a game-high four steals.

Cassie Broadhead made her first career start as she added eight points, two rebounds and two assists in the first half. She finished the game with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Makenzi Pulsipher went into halftime leading the Cougars with nine points. She closed out the game with three assists, three turnovers and one steal.

Kristine Nielson brought in 11 points in her first career start. She added four assists and forced four turnovers in the contest.

Brenna Chase scored eight points and had four rebounds in her first collegiate game.

Jessica Chatman, Liz Eaton and Shalae Salmon also made their first collegiate game appearance against the Westminster Griffins.

PROVO, Utah — The 2016-17 basketball season gets underway for the BYU women’s team this week when the squad plays two exhibition games in the Marriott Center.

The Cougars host Westminster, Wednesday, Nov. 2 and Colorado Mesa University, Friday, Nov. 4. Both games are free to the public, tip off at 7 p.m. and will be carried live on BYUtv.

Last season, BYU recorded its 10^th 20-plus win season (26-7, 16-2) under head coach Jeff Judkins and competed in the NCAA tournament for the 12^th time in program history. The Cougars won their first West Coast Conference regular season title, tallied an undefeated 12-0 record at home and went on a 16-game win streak, the longest in program history.

Westminster enters its second season in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) after finishing 12-14, 9-13 last year. The Griffins return 12 players including their top two scorers in Aubrie Vale, 11.6 points and Denise Gonzalez, 9.7 points per game. Westminster was picked to finish 10^th in this year’s 15-member RMAC race.

Colorado Mesa University also competes in the RMAC. They were selected to finish in a tie for fourth place this year. The Mavericks compiled a 17-10, 14-9 record last season. In its first exhibition game of the 2016-17 campaign, Colorado Mesa lost 70-75 to Southern Utah in Cedar City on Oct. 25. Four players scored in double figures for Colorado Mesa, led by 15 points from Erin Reichle. Bryanna Adams tallied 12 with Nicole Archambeau and Sydney Small contributing 11 points each. Archambeau and Na’ata Epenisa topped the rebound category with six rebounds each in the loss.

The Cougars open up the season at Utah Valley University on Friday, Nov. 11. The team’s home opener is on Saturday, Nov. 19 against No. 18 Oklahoma.

More on the Cougars
Building on her already stellar basketball career, All-American and 2016 WCC Newcomer of the Year, senior Kalani Purcell, anchors the BYU team with a double-double 12.0 points and 12.6 rebounds. She also leads in assists with a 4.7 average. On the national scene, Purcell ended last season ranked second in defensive rebounds per game, fourth in rebounds and fifth in rebounds per game. She also ranked 13^th nationally in double-doubles. Senior Makenzi Pulsipher, an All-WCC Second Team honoree, is back for her final season. Pulsipher started all games in 2016, was the team’s second leading scorer with 12.7 and points, had the most steals on the team with 70 and was the team’s best free thrower, shooting .795 from the line. Sophomore Jasmine Moody is the third returning starter for the Cougars. She averaged 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game last year.

A balanced team offense, a tough defensive presence and a wealth of experience will be keys to the Cougars recording another winning campaign. Juniors Amanda Wayment and Cassie Broadhead will be scoring threats and are solid defenders. Both played in all games last year with Wayment averaging 4.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and Broadhead averaging 3.9 points and 2.0 rebounds a contest.

Other experienced players like seniors Kristine Nielson and Micaelee Orton will also play vital roles in the success of the program. Nielson averaged 2.5 points and 1.0 rebounds while Orton contributed 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds. MaCayla Hanks, who saw playing time in 12 games her freshman campaign, will be a strong inside player for BYU. She averaged 1.1 points and 1.1 rebounds per contest. Junior Brooke Romney Clawson is back after suffering a lis franc injury to her foot at the beginning of last season. She last played for BYU in 2012-13, competing in 10 games, averaging 2.6 minutes of playing time and tallying 11 rebounds one assist and one block. She then left to serve a mission to Concepcion, Chile. Haley Rydalch (Bodnar), a 6-foot-3 center from St. George, Utah will also be in the lineup this season. Rydalch transferred to BYU from Purdue last season, but set out the year due to an injury and because of NCAA transfer rules. She prepped at Desert Hills High School where she was a two-time Region 9 MVP and set the school record for most blocks, a feat she accomplished her sophomore year. Rydalch was a two-time Southern Utah Player of the Year and was named Gatorade Player of the Year in 2014.

Five new faces will be on the Marriott Center floor in 2016-17. Three guards, Liz Eaton, Brenna Chase and Ashton Williams along with forwards Jessica Chatman and Shalae Salmon will all battle for playing time.

Eaton prepped at Maple Mountain High School and led the state in scoring her junior season. She was ranked as one of the top 10 Utah Girls Basketball Guards to Watch by Max Preps.

Chase, a 5-foot-9 guard played at Broomfield High School in Thornton, Colorado. During her junior season, her team won the 5A state championship. She was twice a member of the United States Junior Nationals (USJN) Battle All-Star team.

Salmon is a 6-foot-3 forward from Porirua, New Zealand, where she’s been on the National U16 and U15 teams. In 2015, she competed in the NZ Women’s Basketball Championship League.

Chatman originally signed her letter of intent in November 2013 to begin play in 2014-15, but delayed her start in order to serve an LDS mission in Lansing, Michigan. The 6-foot-0 forward prepped at Union High School in Vancouver, Washington where she garnered three first team all-league citations.

Williams, a 5-10 sophomore guard, from Springfield, Illinois, played her freshman college season at the Air Force Academy in 2013-14 where she played in 13 games, starting in two. She averaged 16.1 minutes of playing time averaging 3.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. She then left to serve an LDS church mission to the Lima, Peru North mission. Williams prepped at Springfield HS where she was a three-year starter garnering two All-Conference First Team awards. She was a three-time team captain, made the All-Academic Team four straight years and was on the High Honor Roll four years as well.