Cougars Beat Rams in Front of Record Crowd

PROVO -- A 17-6 scoring run late in the second half propelled the BYU women's basketball team to a 66-55 win over Colorado State, Saturday night, at the Marriott Center, in front of 3,820 fans, a new BYU women's basketball attendance record.

The game was tied at 49-49 with 5:22 to play, but BYU outscored the Rams 17-6 down the stretch, thanks to clutch free-throw shooting and key baskets by Jennifer Leitner, Erin Thorn and Caroline Beus. The Cougars made 16-of-21 free throws in the second half, including 11-of-13 in the final minutes. Chanell Rose had a career-high 16 points to go along with six rebounds, including three on the offensive end. Beus scored 14 points, while Thorn chipped in 13 for the Cougars. Colorado State out-rebounded BYU, 30-29, but the Rams only managed three offensive boards, compared to BYU's eight.

"Our goal was to play for 40 minutes and we did a good job of that," BYU head coach Trent Shippen said. "We played with great energy and enthusiasm, and just kept battling."

Both teams battled back-and-forth during the first half, with neither team having more than a six-point advantage. BYU's largest lead was 22-16 with 4:39 to go in the first half, while Colorado State held a 26-22 lead with 2:08 left, but the Cougars scored four straight points to go into halftime tied at 26-26.

The win improves BYU's record to 10-7 (2-2) on the season, while Colorado State drops to 12-4 (1-2) on the year. The win also gives Shippen his first-ever win over the Rams during regular-season play. BYU will play its next three games on the road, beginning with in-state rival Utah, in Salt Lake City, Jan. 27, at 3 p.m.