Just breathe: Cougars hold on for opening night win against Idaho
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- BYU freshman Delaney Gibb dribbles the ball against Idaho in a women’s college basketball game at the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024.
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- BYU’s Amari Whiting (in blue) claps her hands in a women’s college basketball game against Idaho in the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024.
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- BYU’s Emma Calvert (left) takes a shot against Idaho in a women’s college basketball game at the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024.
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- BYU’S Kemery Congdon, left, looks to pass against Idaho in a women’s college basketball game the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024.
Most Big 12 teams opened their 2024-25 campaign with blowouts.
BYU decided to do something different.
Cougar coach Amber Whiting got to see what her team would do in crunch time, and the Cougars escaped with a 67-62 win against Idaho at the Marriott Center on Wednesday.
BYU led by 16 points at halftime but the Vandals found some momentum late in the third quarter, eventually tying the game at 57-all with 2:30 to play. The Cougars got some timely defensive plays from two freshmen, Delaney Gibb and Brinley Cannon, and a clutch 3-pointer from newcomer Kemery Congdon with 30.9 seconds to play to hold off Idaho.
Gibb led BYU with 17 points, Congdon added 12 and Emma Calvert 10 before fouling out. Newcomer Marya Hudgins contributed eight points and nine rebounds and Amari Whiting turned in nine points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Hudgins popped in a couple of 3-pointers early as BYU led 9-0 and then 14-5. Calvert scored four straight baskets inside on great entry passes and the Cougars led 24-12, eventually settling for a 24-15 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
Gibb heated up in the second quarter, scoring 9 of her 11 first half points. Her 3-pointer at the 4:53 mark gave BYU a 37-23 lead.
BYU fouled way too much in the first half, however, and Idaho stayed close by making 12 of 18 from the line. A nice feed from Cannon to Heather Hamson for a layup gave the Cougars a 42-26 halftime lead.
Gibb (11 points), Calvert (eight) and Congdon (seven) provided much of the BYU offense in the first half.
Lauren Davenport drained her first 3-pointer of the game to keep BYU’s lead at 16, 51-35, with 3:56 to play in the third quarter. The Vandals outscored the Cougars 19-13 in the third and got a friendly bounce on a shot by Jennifer Aadland with five second remaining, trimming the BYU advantage to 10, 55-45, entering the fourth quarter.
The Cougar offense got stuck in neutral, going nearly four minutes without a basket in the fourth, and Idaho kept creeping closer. A score by Hope Hassman and a layup from Sarah Brans cut the BYU lead to two (57-55) with 3:55 to play. The Vandals tied it up at 57 when Rosie Schweizer spun inside for a basket with 2:30 remaining.
Tied again at 59, Hudgins made a nice pass inside to Hamson for two and a 61-59 Cougar lead with 1:08 to play. BYU caused a turnover on Idaho’s next possession and Congdon’s top of the key 3-pointer off a feed from Whiting with the shot clock expiring gave BYU a 64-59 lead with 30.9 seconds left.
Hassman, a Cal State-Fullerton transfer who eluded BYU’s defense all night, dropped in a 3-pointer for her 23rd point with 20.7 seconds to go to cut the deficit to 64-62. Whiting made one of two from the line and Idaho took over down three, 65-62, with 17.3 second remaining.
Gibb came with with a steal and the put the game away with a pair of free throws.
BYU (1-0) hosts former Mountain West Conference foe Wyoming in the Marriott Center on Saturday at 2 p.m.
