BYU, led by Delaney Gibb’s 22 points, remained unbeaten after a 76-63 comeback win over the Wyoming Cowgirls on Saturday afternoon.

The Cougars trailed by 13 points at halftime (40-27) but outscored the Cowgirls 49-23 in the second half, making 9 of 11 (82%) from the 3-point line.

“I’m super proud of my team,” Cougar head coach Amber Whiting said. “They showed a lot of grit and toughness today. They played for each other. The third quarter shows you that.”

Despite a quick Cougar lead to start the first quarter, Wyoming’s three-point shooting carried the Cowgirls to a 40-27 halftime advantage. BYU aggressively flipped the script in the third by starting the quarter with a 12-1 run with buckets from Marya Hudgins, Emma Calvert, Amari Whiting and Gibb.

Kemery Congdon, Gibb, Calvert and Hudgins each contributed double-figure scoring performances with Gibb leading the Cougars in scoring, rebounds and assists to help clutch the win.

After the Cowgirls brought some early defensive pressure, the Cougars took an early lead to start off the first quarter at 12-6 with the help of Gibb’s three-pointer and a Whiting layup.

With four-straight threes and a tough defense from Wyoming, the Cowgirls took an 18-16 lead at the close of the first quarter.

Wyoming went on a 5-0 run to extend their lead to 23-16, but following a Calvert made shot from inside the paint and Congdon’s fastbreak layup, the Cougars tightened the score to 25-20.

The last five minutes of the half were slow for the Cougars with the only points scored coming on a Congdon jumper with the assist from Whiting. The half concluded with BYU trailing 40-27.

Calvert sank an immediate three-pointer to start the second half, fueled by Gibb’s assist. The senior paved the way for the BYU comeback by making a second three and assisting on Hudgins’ triple to pull the Cougars within five at 41-36 with 8:40 to go in the quarter.

From the 9:42 to 2:27 mark of the third, BYU held the prolific Wyoming offense without a made field goal and went on a 24-3 run over 7:15.

At the close of the third, BYU led 58-46 over the Cowgirls after trailing by 13 to start the period. The 31-point quarter exceeds the highest-scoring quarter of any game last season for the Cougars (27 points).

The Cowgirls went on an initial 5-0 run to begin the fourth quarter. BYU responded with an 8-2 run, powered by Calvert’s scoop layup, two-straight threes and a driving layup by Gibb in just over two minutes of play.

A Hudgins three-pointer widened BYU’s lead to 71-55. With a 72-62 lead with 1:09 to go, four made free throws by Gibb sealed a 76-63 win to avenge the loss from a season ago and move to 2-0 on the year.

The Cougars return to the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Nov. 13 for their next matchup against the Colorado State Rams. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with tip scheduled for 11 a.m. MST. Fans can also tune into the game on BYU Radio for BYU Basketball with Jason Shepherd.

Demin named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week

BYU’s Egor Demin has been named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, the conference announced on Monday afternoon.

The 6-foot-9 guard shared the weekly accolade with Kansas’s Zeke Mayo after Demin averaged 19.0 points, 9.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, leading the Cougars to a pair of victories in the opening week of the season. He shot 62.5 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from 3-point range.

In the season-opening victory over Central Arkansas, Demin became just the second freshmen in Big 12 history to finish with 10+ points and 10+ assists in his collegiate debut, going for 18 points and 11 assists to go along with four steals. His 11 assists are also the most in a debut performance in program history and already ranks him as one of six BYU freshmen with 11 or more dimes in a game.

According to sports-reference, the native of Moscow, Russia also became the second BYU freshman since 2010-11 to have 10+ points and 10+ assists in a single game.

He followed it up with 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds in BYU’s win over UC Riverside. He went 8-of-11 from the field against the Highlanders, including a perfect 6-of-6 from inside the arc.

Through the opening week of the 2024-25 season, Demin is the only freshmen in the nation and one of eight players total to be averaging at least 15.0 points and 8.0 assists per game (min. 2 games played).

Fryer, Vance named to Big 12 All-Tournament team

After making it to the semifinals of the Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Soccer Championship, juniors Allie Fryer and Mackenzee Vance were named to the All-Tournament Team, the league announced Monday.

BYU went 6-2-3 in conference play this season. After beating Texas Tech in the last game of the regular season and earning a first round bye, the Cougars beat Oklahoma State 5-0 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, the Cougars fell to TCU 2-1.

Throughout the tournament, Fryer and Vance proved to be crucial players in BYU’s offensive attack. Fryer tallied her third brace of the year in the win over OSU giving her 11 goals on the season, while Vance notched goals in back-to-back games, totaling seven goals on the season.

The Big 12 All-Tournament Team was voted on by the head coach and one media representative for each institution in the conference.

Fuchs/Thane become first BYU doubles team to reach NCAA tournament in 20 years

Wally Thayne and Zach Fuchs triumphed over the No. 13 team in the country in three sets at the ITA Fall Championships to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Thayne and Fuchs made a run of three wins that included two top-15 teams in the nation.

“Our first goal and step in the semester was to make the NCAA Tournament and our guys certainly had to do it the hard way,” head coach Zack Warren said. “We had a tough break at the All-American Championhsip in Tulsa but Zach and Wally refocused and qualified for this sectional event in Malibu. This was definitely the hardest path to the National Championships, the competition this week was as steep as you’d see in any event. We had to knock off three premier doubles teams, two ranked in the top-15 in the country, and I couldn’t be more proud of Zach and Wally.”

The Cougars pairing will be the first doubles pairing in 20 years to compete at the NCAA championship. This will be the first year it has changed to the fall, beginning on Nov. 19 and ending on Nov. 24.

Thayne and Fuchs beat the No. 13 doubles team from Cal in three sets. After dropping the first set 4-6 the Cougars found themselves down 1-0 in the match. BYU responded with a second set win where they controlled the set and won it 6-2.

After splitting sets, the teams found themselves in a 10-point super tiebreak. This would test both teams to almost every point. The Cougars were able to earn a point off the California team’s serve and then capitalized. BYU would finish the tiebreak winning 10-7.

“Zach and Wally really showcased their resilience throughout the semester and their ability to play their best tennis when it mattered most,” Warren added. “Our team and coaches back home also deserve a tremendous amount of credit for helping prepare these two for battle.”

The Cougars also picked up a straight-set win in their match against another doubles team from Cal on Friday. They controlled the first set from the beginning winning 6-2. They then had more resistance from the opposing team in the second but were able to grab hold of the set and win it 6-4.

Thayne and Fuchs dropped just one set in their three days of play. They qualified for the NCAA tournament with the last win so they will not compete in the finals against what would have been another team from Cal.

“A huge shoutout to our loyal supporters this week in Malibu, they were the X-factor,” Warren said. “Now it’s time to prepare and get ready to play our best at the NCAA’s, it’s a great day to be a Coug.”

Thayne and Fuchs will finish the fall season in Waco, Texas at the NCAA tournament. They have gone 6-2 in their doubles matches throughout the three tournaments they competed in. They will be the lone representatives for BYU and as mentioned prior the first doubles team since 2004 to qualify for the NCAA’s.