BYU overpowers Pacific 81-60

PROVO, Utah — Season-best performances from a number of Cougars powered BYU women's basketball to an 81-60 win over Pacific Tuesday afternoon at the Marriott Center. 

"We came out really aggressive defensively and really pushed the ball which led to a lot of easy baskets," BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. "With Sara (Hamson) taking the middle away, we took them out of a lot of their sets. Our guard line was very aggressive. Shaylee (Gonzales) made some really nice plays defensively to get some steals and easy baskets." 

BYU vs. Pacific Final Box Score

Gonzales led all players with 23 points, her fourth highest scoring output of the season. Gonzales also added a new career high in steals with six to go along with seven rebounds and six assists. Maria Albiero and Hamson recorded season highs in rebounds, with Hamson pulling down nine and Albiero adding six. Tegan Graham added a season-high 15 points while Tahlia White was hot off the bench, scoring a new career high eight points in the fourth quarter. 

BYU quickly turned up the heat, as an 11-0 run put the Cougars on top 13-5 early. The run was followed by an even greater 25-4 run by BYU to close out the first quarter with a 29-9 lead. The lead was a result of a total team effort, as 11 points and three steals by Gonzales, a pair of assists by Albiero and five points apiece from Tegan Graham and Paisley Harding gave the Cougars the edge. 

BYU quickly built on its lead in the second quarter with a series of fast-break layups and lockdown defense. Following a few minutes of especially fast-paced play, Graham left the court after a hard fall with a Pacific player. BYU re-grouped immediately after as Kaylee Smiler was set up perfectly by Albiero for an open 3-pointer to bring BYU back up to tempo. Malli Perri followed with back-to-back baskets to increase the Cougars' lead, 45-19. BYU would end the half up 47-21 following a final two points from Sara Hamson. 

A series of Cougar turnovers and fouls gave the Tigers a few points off free throws to start the third quarter, but BYU retained a comfortable 61-41 lead heading into the fourth.

Soon after the quarter break, Graham entered the game and set her new BYU career high in points with a midrange jumper. Tahlia White knocked down an impressive 3-pointer immediately after subbing into the game for the first time. White followed it up with another two points after a BYU timeout, making her presence known off the bench. Cougars Megan Stevenson, Kate Vorwaller, Devry Millett, Kyra Beckman and Signe Glantz took the court in the final minutes to seal the 81-60 statement win. 

Player Notes

• Gonzales led all scorers at the break with 17 points on 7 of 11 shooting while adding five steals, four rebounds and four assists. She finished the contest with 23 points, a career high six steals, seven rebounds and six assists
• Hamson had a near double-double with 12 points on 6 of 9 shooting and nine rebounds, while also adding a game-high five blocks
• Graham, in her first start of the season, poured in a season-high 15 points to go along with a season-high six rebounds, one assist and one block
• White dropped a season-high eight points on a perfect 3 of 3 shooting
• Albiero and Harding each added seven points. Albiero pulled down a season-high seven boards and dished out six assists
• Perri tied her season-high with six points to go along with two rebounds
• Glantz saw her first couple minutes of playing time this season coming off an injury and recorded a steal, a rebound and an assist
• Thirteen different Cougars checked into the game, with eight of them scoring. including Signe Glantz, who saw her first action on

Team Notes

• The Cougars shot 52.6% in the first half compared to the Tigers’ 25.0%. On the game, BYU shot 47.9% from the floor while holding Pacific to 29.6%
• The Cougars dominated down low, scoring 40 points in the paint to the Tigers’ 22
• BYU started the game on fire, shooting 55% from the floor and outscoring Pacific 29-9. The Cougars’ 29 first quarter points is the most scored in any quarter this season
• In assists, BYU dished out 19 while the Tigers had 11
• The Cougars tallied a season-high 14 steals to Pacific’s 11 and tied their season high in blocks with seven compared to the Tigers’ one
• BYU’s 34 made field goals tied the team’s season high
• The Cougars out-rebounded Pacific 45-44 and had 23 points off turnovers compared to the Tigers’ 18