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BYU freshman Olivia Hamlin (7) takes the game-winning jumper against Washington State, beating the buzzer for a 56-54 victory at the Delta Center on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU players dump water on the head of freshman Olivia Hamlin, whose last-second shot beat Washington State at the Delta Center on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Brinley Cannon (center) celebrates after Olivia Hamlin (left) hit a game-winning shot to beat Washington State at the Delta Center on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU players celebrate Olivia Hamlin's last-second shot to beat Washington State at the Delta Center on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Marya Hudgins (right) drives against Washington State in a women's college basketball game at the Delta Center on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. Since the Marriott Center is tied up with Christmas Around the World, the women's game was part of a doubleheader at the Delta Center with the BYU men's team, which played Cal Baptist later the same evening.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Sidney Benally (right) drives off a screen from teammate Laura Rohkohl in a women's college basketball game at the Delta Center on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. Since the Marriott Center is occupied with Christmas Around the World, the women's game was part of a doubleheader at the Delta Center with the BYU men's team, which played Cal Baptist later the same evening.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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One of the biggest challenges for a coach is to come up with an out-of-bounds play in the final second to win the game.

BYU women’s basketball coach Lee Cummard made it look easy.

His players executed the play to perfection, freeing up freshman Oliva Hamlin for a 15-foot jumper that beat the buzzer to give the blue Cougars a 56-54 victory against the red Cougars of Washington State at the Delta Center Wednesday afternoon.

With the score tied at 54-all and just 2.8 seconds remaining, Cummard went to a play he said his team has run often.

“Truthfully, the play started in the fall with our end-of-game situations,” Cummard explained. “Sid (freshman guard Sidney Benally) is the first option going downhill and if we don’t like that we come back to the post right there for a little give-and-go with the guard taking it out. The we have some weak side action going on.”

Hamlin triggered the sideline out-of-bounds play with a pass to Hattie Ogden, who handed the ball back to Hamlin. She beat the switch defender to a good spot, launching her jumper just before the free throw line. Her shot was true and just ahead of the buzzer.

All that was left was to celebrate with teammates as the officials checked video to make sure the shot did in fact beat the clock expiring.

“I was like wow, no overtime,” Hamlin said. “We won, let’s go. It was fun. I’m just glad it went in. I guess every time I shoot I always a prayer in my mind but I feel like this shot I was kind of more confident in and the results what we wanted.”

Cummard added: “I don’t know what the video shows me doing but right when it left her hand I was really confident it was going to go in. The rhythm was there and they didn’t need to review it, she got it off in time.”

Hamlin and Ariel Mackey-Williams led BYU with 14 points apiece and Marya Hudgins added nine points and nine rebounds.

Eleonora Villa led Washington State (1-7) with 23 points and Charlo Abraham added 12.

BYU led 14-10 after one quarter and pushed that advantage to 22-12 on a Mackey-William drive with 7:30 to play in the second. The Cougars went cold and scored just two points the rest of the quarter, allowing Washington State to rally within two (24-22) at the break.

The red Cougars started the second half on a 7-0 run for a 29-24 lead and took an eight-point advantage, 44-36, with 8:51 to play.

BYU came back to claim a 48-47 lead on a Benally basket with 4:24 to play and the freshman scored on a drive with 1:30 remaining for a 54-52 advantage.

The blue Cougars got a defensive stop with 37.7 showing but failed to score on their offensive possession, giving up a layup on the other end for a 54-54 tie with 2.8 seconds remaining, setting up Hamlin’s game-winner.

Hamlin and Mackey-Williams led BYU with 14 points apiece and Marya Hudgins added nine points and nine rebounds.

Neither team shot the ball well in the NBA arena. BYU was 36% (21 of 59) from the field and 21% (3 of 14) from the 3-point line and Washington State finished 38% (22 of 58) from the field and 14% (3 of 22) from beyond the arc. The blue Cougars had 18 turnovers and the red Cougars 17. BYU did have a 42-34 rebounding advantage.

“It was not a pretty game to be a part of or to watch,” Cummard said. “At the end of the day our group found a way to make it happen. Ari (Mackey-Williams) carried us in the first half and kept us afloat. Our offense was stagnant all afternoon. I don’t know if it was the ice underneath the floor or the rims or depth perception. I thought we competed really hard overall and at the end did enough to have a chance to put the ball in a really good player’s hands and have her make a play.”

Eleonora Villa led Washington State (1-8) with 23 points and Charlo Abraham added 12.

BYU (8-1) heads to the great Northwest for a game with former WCC foe Portland at Chiles Center on Saturday at 6 p.m. The contest will be streamed on ESPN+.

nd the results what we wanted