Cougars rout Westminster in women’s basketball exhibition
With nine newcomers and three returning players, the Cougars showcased both new and old talent in their 105-37 exhibition win over Westminster at the Marriott Center on Tuesday night.
“I thought this was a really good game to get under our belt as far as seeing what we have and what we can do,” head coach Amber Whiting said. “We set some pretty high goals for them and I feel like they came out with fire. They were hungry. I loved seeing how well they played together and how they got after it on defense.”
Returning sophomore Amari Whiting, transfer Kemery Congdon and freshman Delaney Gibb contributed double-figure scoring performances on the night. BYU totaled ten three-pointers, 48 rebounds and 21 assists and held the Griffins to only three three-pointers and three assists. BYU shot 62.7 percent for the game and held the Griffins to 23.7 percent from the field.
BYU outscored Westminster by at least 15 points each quarter and eclipsed the century mark for the first time since 2022, albeit in an exhibition game.
BYU gained a quick 7-0 lead with five points from Congdon. Whiting and Gibb each scored two-straight layups, and Congdon sank her second three-pointer of the night, forcing Westminster’s first timeout at 18-4 Cougars.
Junior transfer Marya Hudgins increased BYU’s lead to 22-4 following the timeout with a three-pointer and free throw. The Griffins added a few more points to the board, but the Cougars maintained a 26-9 lead at the end of the quarter.
The two teams opened the second quarter trading buckets, with a three-pointer from senior Lauren Davenport and two layups each from Whiting and senior Emma Calvert. Following the media timeout, Gibb scored three-straight layups, one off a steal, putting BYU up 43-20.
The Cougars tallied another seven-straight points and ended the first half on a 15-2 run to take a 52-22 lead into the break.
Whiting and Gibb led the Cougars in first-half scoring with 14 apiece. The Cougars totaled ten assists and 24 rebounds, with a 68.8 percent field-goal percentage, holding the Griffins to 23.7 percent from the floor.
BYU opened the second half with a 12-0 run, resulting in the first Westminster timeout of the quarter. The Griffins broke the Cougars’ run following the timeout with two-straight layups, but BYU maintained its lead 64-25 going into the media timeout.
The Cougars scored another 11 points after the timeout, ending the quarter with a 77-32 lead.
Whiting, Gibb and Calvert gave BYU a 7-0 run to start the fourth quarter before Westminster scored their first points, four and a half minutes in. Five consecutive points from Hudgins and Naia Tanuvasa put the Cougars up 89-33 and forced another Westminster timeout.
After the timeout, BYU made three three-pointers by Hattie Ogden, Brinley Cannon and Tanuvasa. Freshman Sarah Bartholomew broke the 100-point threshold for the Cougars with back-to-back layups. Cannon ended the game with another three-pointer, securing BYU’s 105-37 victory.
The Cougars will tip off their regular season on Nov. 6 at the Marriott Center against the Idaho Vandals. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with tip scheduled for 7 p.m. MT. Fans can also tune into the game on BYU Radio 107.9FM/BYURadio.org/BYU Radio App for BYU Basketball with Jason Shepherd.