Purcell, Wayment double-doubles help BYU take down Portland 73-60

BYU vs. Portland Box Score

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PROVO, Utah – Double-doubles from senior Kalani Purcell and junior Amanda Wayment helped BYU take down Portland 73-60 Thursday night at the Marriott Center.

"You’ve got to give Portland a lot of credit," BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. "They got blown out at their place and they came and played a lot better. We seemed a little sluggish tonight. My team is fighting that cold that everyone has and I think we’re getting down to the end of it so hopefully that will make a difference. I’m glad we won. We pulled it off."

Purcell tallied 19 points and 13 rebounds for her 15th double-double of the season while Wayment logged her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Makenzi Pulsipher led the offense with 20 points and six assists as Cassie Broadhead contributed 15 points and four assists in the win. Despite Portland (6-22, 4-13 WCC) shooting better from the field and 3-point range, BYU (18-10, 12-5 WCC) found its victory in points off turnovers, steals, rebounds and points in the paint.

A corner shot by Pulsipher followed by a Micaelee Orton jump shot put the Cougars up 6-2 before Portland countered with a 3-pointer. The Pilots then took the lead as the Cougars went cold on the floor for over two minutes. Broadhead hit a shot from the arc to retake the lead, 9-7, with four minutes to go. Portland fought back to close the first quarter with a 14-13 advantage.

Purcell opened the second quarter with a layup before firing a 3-pointer to put BYU ahead 19-14. The Pilots strung together a 10-2 run as the Cougars missed ten-consecutive field goals. Purcell put BYU back in action before Broadhead capitalized on four free throws after double fouls from the Pilots. Freshman Jessica Chatman hit her first 3-pointer of the season to spark a Cougar comeback as BYU led 34-29 at the half.  

Pulsipher hit back-to-back shots to put BYU up 42-35 at the beginning of the third quarter. After a 6-0 scoring burst, the Cougars took a commanding 48-40 lead with 5:30 left on the clock. BYU held on to a four-point advantage, 54-50, going into the final quarter.

Fueled by Pulsipher and Broadhead, the Cougars picked up the pace before Wayment hit a layup and a pair of free throws to put the Cougars ahead by 13. Portland struggled to bounce back as BYU closed the game 73-60 on free throws by freshman Brenna Chase. 

The Cougars host Gonzaga in their final conference matchup on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 2 p.m. MST. The game will be carried live on BYUtv and BYU Radio – Sirius XM 143. BYU’s four seniors will be recognized during the game. 

Postgame Notes

Team

With the 73-60 win, the Cougars are now 17-3 when they lead at halftime. BYU also now has a 16-6 record when the team makes five or more 3-pointers. The Cougars finished the game with seven treys.

For the eighth time of the year, four players scored in double-figures—Pulsipher (20), Purcell (19),  Broadhead (15) and Wayment (11).

BYU shot 90.0 percent from the free throw line, making 18 of 20, while Portland went 6 of 8.

The Cougars outscored the Pilots in points in the paint 26 to 18. BYU also had six more bench points than Portland (16 to 10).

Player

Makenzi Pulsipher led the Cougars with a team-high 20 points. The senior guard made three 3-point field goals in the contest, making it her eighth game of the season with three or more 3-pointers. With her 20 points, she now has 1,174 points in her career, passing Danielle Cheesman to become 21^st in all-time scoring. Pulsipher also had a game-high six assists.

Kalani Purcell recorded her 15th double-double in the victory with 19 points and a team-high 13 rebounds. The double-double also makes for her 33rd of her career.  Purcell also tied for a game-high three steals, tallied a game-high four blocks and recorded three assists.

Cassie Broadhead finished the contest with 15 points, going 6 of 6 from the free throw line. Broadhead also had four assists  and one rebound.

Amanda Wayment recorded her first career double-double against the Pilots. She recorded a career-high 11 points and a season-high 10 rebounds. She also had three steals, which tied for a season-high.

Jessica Chatman finished the game with a season- and career-high three points.