Team effort leads BYU to 67-50 victory over Utah State

PROVO, Utah – With help from the second-largest crowd in program history, the BYU women’s basketball team defeated Utah State 67-50, Tuesday in the Marriott Center.

BYU vs. Utah State Box Score

“It wasn’t pretty today but I thought we played good enough to win," BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. "I thought Brenna played really well tonight. Just the way she runs the floor, ways she makes plays for this team when we need it. Shalae is becoming a force and I hope she keeps it up. Two double-doubles in a row, consistency is what I’ve been preaching to her and I think she’s taking it to heart. I have to build this bench and play them more. I think this is the first time we’ve beaten them by double digits in a long time. This is a good team. I think they’ll do really well.”

BYU (3-1) outrebounded Utah State (2-4) 48 to 28 while dishing out 15 assists. The Cougars had six blocks compared to just one for the Aggies.

Four Cougars scored in double-figures in the game. Brenna Chase Drollinger led all players while recording a season-high scoring game with 21 points, her first time this season scoring more than 20 points and the ninth time in her career. Shalae Salmon earned her second straight double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Sara Hamson also recorded 11 rebounds and a season-high in blocks with six.

The Cougars came out with a dominant offense and went on an 11-0 run, starting the game with an 11-2 lead over the Aggies. Despite efforts from Utah State, BYU stayed ahead and a trey from Drollinger extended the Cougar lead to 16-8 with two minutes left in the quarter. After baskets from the Aggies, the first quarter ended with BYU up 16-13 over Utah State.

Free throws from Babalu Ugwu and Paisley Johnson gave the Cougars four points at the start of the second quarter. After Maria Albiero sunk a 3, Drollinger grabbed a steal and laid the ball in off a fast break, putting BYU up 10 points over Utah State with eight minutes left. Another trey from Albiero extended the Cougars’ lead and the first half ended with BYU up 32-22.

After the Aggies put up some points in the second half, free throws from Albiero and a jumper from Salmon put BYU up 39-28 with 5:30 left in the quarter. Drollinger hit a 3 from the top of the key with 48 seconds left in the quarter and a made free throw by Albiero finished the third quarter with the Cougars leading 46-32.

The Cougars had an explosive start to the fourth quarter with back-to-back treys from Johnson and Drollinger, putting BYU up 54-36. Staying consistent on offense, the Cougars held onto the lead for the remainder of the game. Malli Valgardson Perri sunk a 3 to end the game 67-50 for BYU.

Up next, the Cougars remain at home and take on in-state rival, the University of Utah, on Friday, Nov. 29. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. MDT. The game will be broadcast live on BYUtv.

Team Notes

• With 5,804 fans in attendance, today’s contest was the second-highest attended game in the Marriott Center in program history. The highest was in a game against Utah on Jan. 19, 2008, where 6,206 fans attended
• In the first half, BYU shot 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from behind the arc. The Cougars ended the game with a 39.7 field-goal percentage and 33.3 from behind the arc. 
• BYU held the Aggies to a 32.7 shooting percentage on the game and a 28.6 percentage from 3-point territory
• The Cougars outrebounded Utah State 21-14 in half number one and 48-28 on the game
• BYU had 14 points in the paint in the first half to the Aggies’ eight, and finished the game with 26 to Utah State’s 14
• The Cougars dished out 15 assists while the Aggies had 13

Player Notes

• Brenna Chase Drollinger dropped a season-high 21 points, recording her first 20-point game of the season and the ninth of her career. She shot eight of 14 from the floor and five of nine from 3-point land while adding four rebounds, three assists and three steals
• Shalae Salmon recorded her second consecutive double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds
• Sara Hamson tallied a season-high six blocks, just three short of her career-high. She also reached double digits in rebounds for the third consecutive game, pulling down 11
• Paisley Johnson stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points on five of 13 shooting, five rebounds, four assists and one steal
• Maria Albiero had a season-high 11 points and added four rebounds, four assists and one steal