Two in double figures not enough to beat Georgia

Final Box Score

ATHENS, Ga. -- In its first road game of the season, the BYU women's basketball team fell to the Georgia Bulldogs, 81-51, Wednesday, at the Stegeman Coliseum.

“We came out the first quarter and played really well,” BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. “We played with intensity, executed and were defensively sharp. The last five minutes of the second quarter, Georgia kept their intensity and physicality and we didn’t. We didn’t execute like we did the first of the game. This is one of the best teams I’ve played in a long time.”

Cassie Broadhead finished the contest with 16 points, two rebounds and two assists in 36 minutes of play, while Makenzi Pulsipher ended the game with 12 points and five steals. Jasmine Moody also added eight points along with eight rebounds. In only six minutes of play, Brenna Chase chipped in four points and one rebound in the Cougars' loss.

Despite falling by double digits, the Cougars (1-1) matched the Bulldogs (3-0) in total rebounds with 31 rebounds. BYU struggled in the paint scoring only 12 points to Georgia's 36 points, and they gave up 30 points off of turnovers. The Cougars finished the night shooting 37 percent from the field, 70 percent from the free throw line and 17.6 percent from behind the arc.

BYU started the game strong on an 8-2 run behind two free throws from Pulsipher and layups from Broadhead and Moody. The Bulldogs overpowered the Cougars with a 12-2 run to take the lead. BYU’s first 3-pointer of the game came from Pulsipher to put the Cougars within one point of Georgia, 14-13.

The Cougars finished the first 10 minutes trailing the Bulldogs, 16-13, shooting 38.5 percent from the field. Pulsipher finished the period with seven points, while Broadhead added four points.

Pulsipher hit two free throws to start the second period. Teams traded baskets back and forth before Broadhead converted a 3-pointer to bring the Cougars within one, 22-21, at the 5:03 mark. Georgia closed the quarter on a 10-0 run, holding BYU scoreless in the last five minutes and pushing its lead to 32-21.

The Cougars pulled down 18 rebounds to the Bulldogs’ 16, with Moody coming away with five and Kalani Purcell with four. BYU finished the first 20 minutes shooting 28 percent from the field, 20 percent from behind the arc and had 13 turnovers to Georgia's’ eight. Both teams were perfect from the free-throw line.

Opening the third period, UGA extended its lead to 40-23 before a Kristine Nielson 3-pointer opened BYU's scoring. Freshman Shalae Salmon was fouled and hit 1-of-2 free throws. Broadhead came right behind Salmon shooting 2-of-2 from the line and bringing the Cougars’ free throw percentage up to 61.5 percent. A free throw from Georgia ended the third period with the Bulldogs leading 58-29.

BYU jumped back into the game in the fourth period as Broadhead and Pulsipher hit back-to-back shots. Purcell chipped in her first points of the game with 7:54 to go in the fourth period. The Cougars went on a 7-2 run to bring them within 29 points, 69-40. MaCayla Hanks and Haley Rydalch came off the bench for the Cougars and both put up points but they could not cut into the deficit and the Bulldogs closed out the game on an 8-4 run.

BYU opens its home schedule hosting No.16/17 Oklahoma on Saturday, Nov. 19. The game will begin at 4 p.m. MST and will be broadcast on TheW.tv. Links to media outlets and live stats can be found on the BYU women’s basketball schedule page. 

Postgame Notes

Team

The visiting Cougar team was down 16 to 13 after the first period, and went into the locker room, down by 11, 32-21. BYU only had five points in the third period, eventually losing by 30, 81-51.

BYU shot 28 percent from the field in the first half of action. They finished shooting 37 percent from the field. They shot 70 percent from the free throw line and just 18 percent from behind the arc.

The Cougars had the edge in the rebound category in the first 20 minutes of action, 18 to 16. For the game, both teams finished with 31 rebounds each.

BYU got the advantage in the blocks category with three. UGA had two for the game. The Cougars also had more steals than the Bulldogs, 10 to 7. 

Player

Cassie Broadhead recorded her second straight outing scoring in double figures with a team-best 16 points. She was perfect at the free throw line, going 5-for-5. Broadhead also had two steals, two assists and two rebounds in the contest.

Makenzi Pulsipher had 10 points in the first half and finished with 12 total points for her second straight double figure outing of the season and the 38^th of her career. She was perfect from the free throw line going 5-for-5. It’s the second straight game that Pulsipher has been perfect from the charity stripe in both games to date. She also had a game-best five steals, which are also season bests.

At halftime, Jasmine Moody had pulled down a team-best five rebounds. She ended the game with eight total boards for game highs along with eight points. The total points are season bests.

Kalani Purcell finished the game with seven rebounds, two steals and a team-best three assists. She also contributed two points.

MaCayla Hanks came off the bench scoring two points and a game-high two blocks.

Brenna Chase played six minutes in the game and scored four points going 2-for-3 from the field.

Haley Rydalch saw six minutes of action contributing two rebounds and two points in the game.