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BYU's Kaylee Smiler, left, and Amari Whiting do a post-game interview after an overtime win against Idaho State at the Marriott Center on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Kaylee Smiler takes a 3-pointer during a women's college basketball game against Idaho State in the Marriott Center on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU freshman guard Amari Whiting steals the ball from Idaho State's Maria Dias during a women's college basketball game at the Marriott Center on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU women's basketball coach Amber Whiting watches the action from the sideline during a game against Idaho State in the Marriott Center on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Lauren Gustin goes in for a layup in a women's college basketball game against Idaho State at the Marriott Center on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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The BYU bench reacts during a women's college basketball game against Idaho State at the Marriott Center on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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Down by 13 points early in the fourth quarter and getting thoroughly outplayed by Idaho State, the BYU women’s basketball team needed a spark.

What they got was “Kiwi Power.”

Senior guard Kaylee Smiler — a New Zealand native playing in front of her family for the first time in Provo and sporting staples in her head from a first-half spill — helped ignite an 18-0 run to get BYU back into the game and made a pair of pressure free throws with 6.1 seconds left in overtime as the Cougars held on for a 79-76 victory at the Marriott Center on Saturday.

Smiler scored 15 of her 17 points in the second half as the Cougars overcame 20 turnovers and a poor night at the 3-point line (6 for 25, 24%) to escape with a victory against a 4-5 Idaho State team.

Smiler left the game briefly in the second quarter after an errant elbow opened up a gash on her head. After getting eight staples to close the wound, she was good to go.

“I’m super proud of my team,” Smiler said. “We worked so hard to get here. We love overtime. We do it every day in practice so I knew we had it in the end. My family is visiting from New Zealand and it’s the only game they’ve ever seen me play, so I was like, ‘I’ve got to get back out there.'”

Lauren Gustin contributed 18 points, 20 rebounds and three assists. Freshmen Amari Whiting (14 points, 12 rebounds, six assists) and Kailey Woolston (12 points, six assists) and junior Emma Calvert (11 points) all played more than 32 minutes for BYU.

Idaho State’s Tasia Jordan led all scorers with 22 points but fouled out late in regulation. Kacey Spinks scored 15 points and Maria Dias added 13 for the Bengals, who were looking for their first win against BYU since 2000.

Idaho State led 37-34 at halftime and by 10 after three, 47-47. The Bengals pushed out to 60-47 with 8:23 to play in the game and appeared to be in complete control.

Ali’a Matavao came off the bench and scored on a drive, starting an 18-0 BYU blitz keyed by defensive pressure. A Smiler 3-pointer gave the Cougars a 61-60 lead with 4:42 to play and her long jumper made it 65-61 moments later. With 2:08 remaining, Smiler stuck another triple for a 68-62 lead but Idaho State got a 3-point play from Jordan and a 3-pointer from Nika Lokica to tie things up at 70 with 28 seconds remaining.

As the clock counted down, Whiting missed an off-balance shot and the contest went to overtime.

BYU led 77-76 and Woolston missed a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left, giving the Bengals the opportunity to take the lead. Instead, Whiting’s defense forced a traveling call with 6.1 seconds remaining, which led to a foul and Smiler’s big free throws.

“I would much rather have this kind of a game than a 20-point win any day of the week,” Cougar head coach Amber Whiting. “I don’t know if a lot of people agree with me, but I love when they come back. I love that they have that grit and toughness. They showed a lot of fight, and they fought for each other, so I’m super proud of them. It’s the first time this season that we’ve had five players in double figures and that just goes to show that we got a group that will share the ball, that will play for each other and that’s what I’m most proud of today.”

Amari Whiting, who also contributed four steals, blocked Idaho State’s final 3-point attempt to end the game.

“I wanted to help my team win,” she said. “I felt like we brought the fight all game. I knew I could bring the fight defensively and just do what I can to help us win.”

BYU (9-2) will finish out the preseason at the Lady Bear Classic next week, taking on host Missouri State on Wednesday and facing Nevada on Thursday. The Cougars open their first season in the Big 12 Dec. 30 at TCU.