PROVO, Utah — No. 20 BYU women’s basketball ran away with a 104-53 win over Pepperdine at the Marriott Center on Thursday, earning BYU head coach Jeff Judkins’ 450th career win. 

“We were really able to get out in transition tonight,” Judkins said. “When Pepperdine decided to full-court press, it allowed us to push the tempo and gave the girls a lot of opportunities to score, which they love to do.”

The Cougars’ 51-point victory is the largest margin of victory this season. BYU scored 37 fast-break points and 58 points in the paint, recording 32 assists on 40 made field goals on the night. 

Led by Paisley Harding’s 22 points, the Cougars shot a blistering 63 percent from the field and 53 percent from beyond the arc. Including Harding, four BYU players finished in double figures. Tegan Graham poured in 18 points, shooting 4 of 6 from deep, and both Shaylee Gonzales and Lauren Gustin added 16 points each. 

Gonzales added a career-high 13 assists and posted her first double-double of the year and fifth of her career. Gustin posted her 12th double-double of the season with 10 rebounds. 

Defensively, BYU held Pepperdine to 32 percent shooting, including 22 percent from 3-point range. The Cougars also forced 19 Waves’ turnovers, recording 12 steals and nine blocks. 

Box Score

First Quarter 
Graham kicked off the scoring for BYU with a short corner jumper. Harding scored on a fast-break layup, and Gonzales knocked down a pair of free throws to open up a 6-0 lead before Pepperdine scored a press-breaking fast-break layup of their own. Layups by Gustin, Graham, Maria Albiero and Gonzales then made it 14-6 midway through the quarter, forcing a Waves timeout. 

The Cougars scored on a fast-break euro-step layup by Gonzales, two Gustin layups, a Harding layup, another Gonzales pair from the charity stripe and a Sarah Hamson layup before a Waves 3-pointer broke an 8-0 BYU run. Harding knocked down a transition trey to give BYU an 18-point lead, 29-11 through the first 10 minutes.

Second Quarter
Graham started the second quarter hitting a baseline three before Nani Falatea got a steal and fast-break layup. Gonzales scored on the break off a Kaylee Smiler assist, and after Graham free throws and another Gonzales layup, the Cougars led 40-15. 

Harding laid it in off an inbounds play, Albiero hit Gonzales for yet another fast-break layup, Gustin scored in the paint and a Harding layup gave BYU a 48-24 advantage. After the Waves went on a 5-0 run, Hamson got a baby hook to go and Harding hit two free throws, taking a 52-33 lead into the half.

Third Quarter
After a scoreless minute by both teams to open the half, Gustin got a layup off pick-and-roll action with Gonzales, who scored on a put-back layup the next possession down. Graham hit a triple in transition before Gustin scored on the break off an Albiero assist, putting BYU up 63-37 and forcing a Pepperdine timeout. 

Back-to-back treys by Graham, two Harding free throws, 3-pointers by Harding and Nani Falatea, and two Gustin layups capped a 22-0 Cougar run and gave BYU a then game-high 46-point lead at 83-37. Holding for the final shot of the quarter, Albiero scored a driving layup to lead 85-41 heading into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter
Arielle Mackey-Williams hit two free throws to start the final quarter and then Emma Calvert and Rose Bubakar each split a pair. Mackey-Williams scored the Cougars’ first field goal of the quarter, knocking down a three from the top of the arc.

Bubakar then hit a floater, Devry Millett scored on a fast break, and then Mackey-Williams scored from deep on the left wing to surpass the century mark. Calvert scored twice in the final minute, on a layup and short corner jumper, to close out the 104-53 victory. 

The Cougars will travel to Moraga, California, for a matchup at St. Mary’s on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 1 p.m. PST. The game will be streamed on the WCC Network. 

PROVO, Utah – BYU women's basketball returns to the Marriott Center Thursday night to host Pepperdine before traveling to Moraga, California, to face St. Mary's on Saturday.

No. 20 BYU's game Thursday is set to tip at 7 p.m. MT on BYUtv. Saturday's game at the University Credit Union Pavilion begins at 1 p.m. PT and will be streamed on the WCC Network.

Thursday's home game is going to be BYU's Cancer Awareness game with some special halftime recognitions and 500 free pink shirts for fans. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to show support. 

Consistent with current BYU requirements, all in attendance at the Marriott Center will need to provide proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test upon entry. Masks will also be required, regardless of vaccination status. COVID testing will be available at Marriott Center 90 minutes before tipoff and 30 minutes after tipoff. Find more details at byu.edu/coronavirus.

BYU vs. Pepperdine
Thursday, Feb. 10
7 p.m. MT
Video: BYUtv.org/BYUtv App
Live Stats
On Twitter: @BYUwbb

BYU at St. Mary's
Saturday, Feb. 12
1 p.m. PT
TV/Stream: WCC Network
Live Stats
On Twitter: @BYUwbb

BYU Game Notes (19-2, 9-1)

• LAST GAME: BYU came back from down 35-20 at halftime at Gonzaga and rallied to win 62-50. BYU outscored the Zags 42-15 int he second half, including holding them to a school-record 3 points in the third quarter.
• BYU has won 27 consecutive games in the Marriott Center. The program record is 33 games, set over the 1978-80 seasons.
• Shaylee Gonzales was named to the Midseason Team for the 2021-22 Naismith Trophy for the Women’s Collegiate Player of the Year.
• BYU is ranked No. 6 in scoring margin at +18.7 points per game and ranks No. 14 in scoring offense at 77.4 points per game. The Cougars are No. 9 in assists per game (19.4) and No. 6 in assist to turnover ratio (1.40), No. 7 in field goal percentage (46.8) and No. 23 in field goal percentage defense (35.3).

Pepperdine (7-10, 3-5)

• The Waves are coming off of a 78-57 loss at San Francisco on Saturday.

St. Mary's (12-10, 6-5)

• The Gaels won three conference games in a row heading into their game at Portland on Thursday night. BYU faced Saint Mary’s on Jan. 13 in Provo and won 78-36.