LOS ANGELES, Calif. – BYU forward Lauren Gustin continued her historic rebounding run, collecting 24 boards and 11 points on the way to a 63-46 win over LMU on Thursday night.

The Cougars (9-8, 4-2), winners of five in a row, shot 42 percent from the field and outrebounded the Lions 40-22. Gustin’s 24 rebounds outboarded the entire opponent for the second-consecutive game.

BYU led the entire game and held LMU to just 11 points in the first half, including only two points in the first quarter. The Cougars also went a perfect 14 of 14 from the free-throw line. 

"I loved the way we came out locked in and started the game strong," BYU head coach Amber Whiting said. "We still have a lot to work on down the stretch of a game and finish the way we started."

Gustin’s 24 ties her career-best set last week vs. San Diego. It was her NCAA-leading fifth game of 20 or more boards this season. She also notched her 16th double-double of the season.

Nani Falatea and Arielle-Mackey Williams each chipped in 12 points. Kaylee Smiler added eight points and a game-high eight assists. 

Box Score

First half
Mackey-Williams drained the first triple of the game to give BYU a 7-0 lead three minutes into the first quarter before LMU got on the board a minute later. Smiler added a layup and made her free throw after a foul for a 10-2 advantage.

BYU continued its run through the first quarter with defense turned offense, pushing the lead to 14-2 with 2:43 to go in the first.

It was all part of a 15-0 run that led to a 22-2 lead after one quarter of play. Gustin had 10 rebounds at the end of the quarter. Two points in the first quarter is the fewest allowed in a quarter since women’s basketball switched to quarters in the 2014-15 season.

BYU continued to pour it on in the second quarter, using another 7-0 run to make it 36-5 at the 5:19 mark. Amanda Barcello came off the bench and hit a trey while back-to-back layups by Falatea and Gustin added to the run.

LMU was able to hit a shot and a pair of free throws down the stretch, but the Cougar lead was 38-11 at halftime. Gustin had 17 rebounds at halftime while Smiler led the scoring with 8 points. BYU had seven players get in the scoring column in the first half.

Second half
The second half was more of the same, with BYU holding the Lions scoreless for the nearly the first five minutes before a made 3-pointer made it 43-14 at the 5:12 mark. BYU answered with another trey on the other end to get it right back.

Down the stretch of the third quarter, both teams traded buckets and Falatea closed the quarter with a 3-pointer for a 55-25 lead.

LMU was able to hit some shots in the fourth quarter from deep, but it was too late as BYU finished off the 63-46 win.

The Cougars play at Pepperdine on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 2 p.m. PT. The game at Firestone Fieldhouse will be streamed on the WCC Network.

PROVO, Utah – BYU women's basketball will travel to California for games against Loyola Marymount on Thursday and Pepperdine on Saturday. Thursday's matchup against LMU is at 7 p.m. PT while Saturday's contest with the Waves begins at 2 p.m. PT. Both games will be streamed on the WCC Network. 

BYU (8-8, 3-2) at LMU (5-12, 2-4)
Thursday, Jan. 12
7 p.m. PT
Gersten Pavilion
Los Angeles, California
Stream: WCC Network
Live Stats

BYU (8-8, 3-2) at Pepperdine (6-10, 1-5)
Saturday, Jan. 14
2 p.m. PT
Firestone Fieldhouse
Malibu, California
Stream: WCC Network
Live Stats
On Twitter: @BYUwbb

BYU Game Notes

• LMU (JAN. 12). The Lions split their games last week, defeating Saint Mary’s but dropping a 73-52 contest to Pacific. LMU is 5-12 on the season with a 2-4 mark in WCC play. BYU holds a 22-3 advantage in the series, winning the last six.
• PEPPERDINE (JAN. 14). Pepperdine is 6-10 on the year, suffering a skid of five consecutive games before facing San Diego on Thursday night. The Waves 1-5 in conference games to begin the year. BYU is 23-4 against the Waves all-time, with BYU winning the last two matchups.
• LAST GAME. BYU has pushed its winning streak to four games now after defeating San Diego at the Marriott Center last week. Lauren Gustin put together another top performance with 21 points and a career-high 24 rebounds in a 63-49 win.
• CONFERENCE PLAY. The Cougars are into West Coast Conference action for the remainder of the 2022-23 season. BYU dropped the first two WCC games on the road (at Gonzaga, at Portland) but have won three in a row after beating San Diego to move to 3-2 and third place in the league.
• SCORING DUO. BYU has two players averaging double-figure scoring with Lauren Gustin and Nani Falatea. Gustin leads the squad and is sixth in the WCC at 15.9 points while Falatea is at 13.9 points.
• DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE. Forward Lauren Gustin continues to be a force down low is No. 2 in double-doubles with 15 in 16 games. Gustin is averaging 15.9 points per game and 15.4 rebounds. She is No. 2 nationally in total rebounds with 247 and tied for No. 2 in rebounds per game at 15.4. The junior from Salem, Utah has posted 20 or more rebounds four times this season, with 20 against Oklahoma, 23 against Monmouth, 22 against Pacific and a career-high 24 against San Diego. She has posted two 20-20 games this year.