SAN FRANCISCO – The No. 18 BYU women’s basketball team won its first conference game with a 76-64 showing against San Francisco on Thursday night on the road. 

BYU (11-1, 1-0) led for more than 38 of the 40 minutes of the game, took control in the second quarter and never looked back en route to its first West Coast Conference victory.

Forward Lauren Gustin picked up her sixth double-double of the year with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Paisley Harding led BYU with 19 points while Maria Albiero and Shaylee Gonzales chipped in nine apiece.

The Cougars shot 45.6 percent for the game and dominated the boards, outrebounding San Francisco (6-7, 0-1) 50-28 and also owned the paint with a 46-22 advantage.

BOX SCORE

First half
Three straight buckets, including a triple by Tegan Graham pushed BYU to a 12-4 lead to open the game in the first five minutes.

San Francisco tied it up a few minutes later but Albiero drained an open three-pointer to put the Cougars back in front at 15-12 with 2:30 left in the first quarter. BYU added a free-throw make for a 16-12 lead at the end of the first.

A steal by Nani Falatea and a dish to Gonzales on the break gave BYU a 31-19 lead with under four to play until halftime.

Harding beat the buzzer with a turnaround layup, making it 39-22 at halftime. BYU’s trio of Gustin, Harding and Gonzales led the scoring attack with 10, nine and seven points, respectively.

Second half
After two freebies from Gonzales, BYU doubled up San Francisco at 46-23 in the first three minutes of the second half. Albiero later hit her third three-pointer of the game, putting the Cougars up 51-25 midway through the third quarter.

At the end of the third quarter, BYU stayed in control up 20 at 61-41.

Harding completed an old-fashioned three-point play with a two and a free throw to give BYU a 70-47 lead with six minutes to go in the game as part of a 7-0 run.

Coach Judkins was able to get several freshman experience in the final minutes as BYU cruised to a 76-64 win on the road.

The Cougars return home to the Marriott Center to host Pacific on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Provo. The game will be televised on BYUtv.

PROVO, Utah –  No. 18 BYU women's basketball is set to open West Coast Conference play on the road at San Francisco Thursday at 6 p.m. PST at War Memorial Gym and then return to the Marriott Center Saturday to take on Pacific at 2 p.m. MST. 

BYU at San Francisco
Stream: WCC Network
Live Stats
On Twitter: @BYUwbb

BYU vs. Pacific
TV/Stream: BYUtv
Live Stats
On Twitter: @BYUwbb

BYU Game Notes (10-1)

• LAST GAME: BYU beat Montana State 89-67 on the road. Lauren Gustin was named the WCC Player of the Week (12/27) after 15 points and 18 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the year. BYU had two games postponed due to Covid-19 issues in other programs.
• SAN FRANCISCO. Like BYU, the Dons haven’t played in more than two weeks. San Francisco wrapped up its non-conference schedule with a 78-76 win over Tulsa on the road.
• PACIFIC. The Tigers are coming back after three postponed games from Covid-19. Pacific beat Webster State 75-62 on the road on Dec. 21.
• The Cougars stayed at No. 18 in the AP Top 25 this week. BYU is ranked for the sixth consecutive week for the first time since 2006.
• ESPN’s Bracketology has the Cougars projected as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament 68-team bracket.
• As of Jan. 5, Lauren Gustin ranks No. 2 nationally in rebounds per game (12.7), Sara Hamson is No. 15 in blocked shots per game (2.64), Tegan Graham is No. 23 in 3-pointers per game (3.0), Maria Albiero is No. 26 in assist to turnover ratio (2.61) and Shaylee Gonzales is No. 33 in points per game (19.1).

About San Francisco (6-6)

• Like BYU, the Dons haven’t played in more than two weeks. San Francisco wrapped up its non-conference schedule with a 78-76 win over Tulsa on the road.

About Pacific (3-8)

• The Tigers are coming back after three postponed games from Covid-19. Pacific beat Webster State 75-62 on the road on Dec. 21.