BYU falls to No. 16 Gonzaga in UCU WCC Semifinal

LAS VEGAS – BYU’s run through the 2023 University Credit Union West Coast Conference tournament came to an end on Monday afternoon as the Cougars fell to No. 16 Gonzaga 79-64 in the semifinals at the Orleans Arena.

Nani Falatea was one of two Cougars in double figures as BYU shot 35.7 percent from the field, 41.2 percent from three and 89.5 percent from the free throw line. The sophomore finished with 17 points, four steals, four rebounds and three assists.

Emma Calvert finished with 13 points, going 4-of-5 from the field, 1-of-1 from three and 4-of-4 from the free throw line to go along with five rebounds, three assists and a block.

Lauren Gustin had nine points and nine rebounds, giving her 532 rebounds on the season which are the seventh-most in a single season in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history.

First Quarter

After taking a 2-0 lead in its first possession of the game on a layup from Gustin, BYU would miss its next four shots as Gonzaga would score the next 10 points taking a 10-2 lead. A Rose Bubakar block spurred a 9-0 run for the Cougars as they held the Zags scoreless for more than three minutes.

Calvert had a team-high four points in the opening quarter after making a pair of free throws in the final minute to cut the Cougars deficit to 14-11.

Second Quarter

Gustin and Calvert scored in the paint in back-to-back possessions to open the second quarter as the Cougars retook the lead, 15-14. Amanda Barcello would tie the game for a third time in the early going, 18-18, with the Cougars second 3-pointer of the game.

Arielle Mackey-Williams ended a 5-0 Gonzaga run with her first 3-pointer of the game, cutting the deficit to 23-21. The Cougars would come up with stops defensively to keep it a six-point game at halftime, 31-25, after going scoreless for the last 3:12 of the first half.

Third Quarter

The Cougars turned the ball over three times in its opening four possessions of the second half as Gonzaga stretched the lead to 15, 40-27, before Smiler got her layup to go.

The defense continued to keep Gonzaga at bay, forcing four turnovers but another shooting slump saw them down 58-35 after 30 minutes of action.

Fourth Quarter

BYU opened the quarter on a 5-0 run on a pair of free throws from Falatea and old-fashioned 3-point play from Gustin to make it 58-43.

The Cougars continued to chip away at the deficit with Smiler connecting on her second 3-pointer of the game, this time from the corner. Calvert was fouled on a defensive rebound and made both free throws for BYU’s second 5-0 run of the half.

Falatea led the charge for the visitors down the stretch with 13 points in the fourth as the Cougars fell to the Zags for a third time this season.