Carling's 20 Shines in Defensive Struggle

PROVO -- In a hard fought game, the BYU women's basketball team scraped by San Diego State, with a 46-43 victory Saturday in the Marriott Center.

Senior Mallary Gillespie-Carling led the Cougars with 20 points. She now has 64 double-figure games in her career with 17 this season.

"I am real happy with the outcome today," said BYU head coach Jeff Judkins. "I have learned in coaching that you enjoy a win no matter how it comes. We didn't play the kind of basketball we know how to play, but a lot of kids stepped up where they were needed."

The Aztecs got out to an early lead, forcing the Cougars to follow and the two teams battled back and forth. SDSU first went on six-point run, but BYU responded with a 6-0 run of its own coming within one basket of the Aztecs.

Countering the Cougars' effort, the Aztecs answered with a 7-0 run. At 10:24 BYU once again reacted to SDSU as the Cougars went on seven-point run, including a three-point shot made by Gillespie-Carling. At 8:16 BYU trailed the Aztecs 15-17.

Nearly scoreless in the next six minutes of the game, both teams struggle to take control. At 2:13 Gillespie-Carling dropped another three-point basket followed with a breakaway lay in by freshman Mindy Nielson which catapulted the Cougars into the lead 20-19. SDSU answered with a basket at 1:15, but a free throw basket by Cassie King left the game tied 21-21 at the end of the first half. The first-half tie marks the only tie the team has had at the half all season.

Much like the first the two teams toiled defensively in the second half, with only four baskets made in nine minutes. With 11:28 left in the game Coriann Wood sunk a three pointer to put the Cougars in the lead 28-25. The struggle continued with the score tied five times in the second half alone.

Between 6:41 and 1:26 Gillespie-Carling scored 10 consecutive points as the Cougars allowed the Aztecs only seven. With 31 seconds left, Nielson dropped a basket which put the Cougars at a 45-40 lead. Ashley Chessman solidified the three-point win with a free throw basket in the last seconds of the game.

"They played hard defensively, they wanted the win and I am glad they pulled it off in the end," said Judkins.

BYU will stay home to go head-to-head with the New Mexico State Aggies on Tuesday. The game starts at 6 p.m. in the Marriott Center.

Official Basketball Box Score
SAN DIEGO STATE vs Brigham Young Univer
02-23-08 2:00 PM at MARRIOTT CTR, BYU, PROVO UT
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VISITORS: SAN DIEGO STATE 13-12;4-9
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
03 DAVIS, Quenese...... *  1-4    1-1    0-0    1  1  2   0   3  2  4  0  0  26
05 MORRIS, Jene........ *  5-19   2-6    2-2    4  1  5   3  14  6  7  0  2  36
23 DIXON, Lasandra..... *  2-5    0-1    0-0    0  1  1   3   4  0  1  0  2  31
32 JOHNSON, Paris...... *  4-10   0-0    0-0    2  4  6   4   8  0  4  1  3  29
34  DUFFY, Allison..... *  4-15   0-0    0-0    3  3  6   3   8  3  3  0  3  34
02 DAVIS, Coco.........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   0   0  0  1  0  0   3
04 SPINARDI, Kim.......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   1   0  0  3  0  0  10
11 EVELAND, Kate.......    1-3    0-1    0-0    0  1  1   0   2  1  0  0  0  16
25 CLAY, Shannon.......    2-6    0-0    0-0    2  6  8   1   4  0  0  0  3  15
   TEAM................                         4  4  8
   Totals..............   19-62   3-9    2-2   16 23 39  15  43 12 23  1 13 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-30 33.3%   2nd Half:  9-32 28.1%   Game: 30.6%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  1-4  25.0%   2nd Half:  2-5  40.0%   Game: 33.3%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  0-0   0.0%   2nd Half:  2-2  100 %   Game: 100 %    0
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HOME TEAM: Brigham Young Univer 13-11;7-5
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
05 CHEESMAN, Ashley.... f  1-3    0-0    1-4    2  3  5   1   3  3  3  0  2  20
32 SLADE, Shawnee...... f  1-5    0-1    0-0    1  3  4   0   2  4  0  1  2  30
52 VARLEY, Lauren...... c  2-5    0-0    0-0    3  6  9   2   4  1  2  1  0  32
22 NIELSON, Mindy...... g  3-7    0-3    0-0    0  1  1   3   6  4  8  1  2  31
30 CARLING, Mallary.... g  7-16   2-6    4-5    0  3  3   2  20  2  3  0  3  36
03 FOREMAN, Jazmine....    1-3    0-1    0-0    1  0  1   2   2  0  4  0  0  14
14 RED, Sarah..........    0-2    0-1    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  1   6
23 WOOD, Coriann.......    3-5    1-2    1-1    1  4  5   0   8  0  4  1  1  14
45 MOEAKI, Keilani.....    0-1    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   1   0  0  1  0  0  12
54 KING, Cassie........    0-0    0-0    1-2    0  2  2   1   1  0  0  0  0   5
   TEAM................                            4  4
   Totals..............   18-47   3-14   7-12   8 27 35  12  46 14 25  4 11 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  9-25 36.0%   2nd Half:  9-22 40.9%   Game: 38.3%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  2-7  28.6%   2nd Half:  1-7  14.3%   Game: 21.4%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  1-4  25.0%   2nd Half:  6-8  75.0%   Game: 58.3%    2
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Officials: ROBERT STRONG, LAURA RAHE, KEN SOWBY
Technical fouls: SAN DIEGO STATE-None. Brigham Young Univer-None.
Attendance: 766
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
SAN DIEGO STATE...............   21   22  -   43
Brigham Young Univer..........   21   25  -   46
OFFICIAL FINAL
Points in the paint-SD 22,BY 22. Points off turnovers-SD 13,BY 11.
2nd chance points-SD 11,BY 2. Fast break points-SD 0,BY 2.
Bench points-SD 6,BY 11. Score tied-6 times. Lead changed-9 times.
Last FG-SD 2nd-01:04, BY 2nd-00:32.
Largest lead-SD by 9 1st-10:58, BY by 4 2nd-18:55.