Instead, the Utes outrebounded the Cougars 42-31, including 18 offensive rebounds that led to 30 second-chance points, pushing the Utes to an 81-76 victory at the Marriott Center.

“That was a rivalry game,” BYU head coach Amber Whiting said. “I’m super proud of the fight that my women showed and what they brought to the table. We put together a more complete game than we have in the past. Hats off to Utah for bringing it. We can’t give up 18 offensive rebounds and expect to win. That’s the most glaring stat for me – defensively we can’t give that up.”

Along with her 21 points on 9-of-20 shooting, BYU freshman Delaney Gibb registered six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Gibb made three baskets from behind the three-point line and shot 45% from the field.

Kemery Congdon and Amari Whiting both contributed 12 points on the day with each securing three makes from deep. Whiting also recorded three steals on the afternoon.

Utah’s Giana Kneepkens scored 32 points, including 6 of 7 from the 3-point line and 10 of 12 on free throws. Teammate Maye Toure added 22 points and eight rebounds.

The start of the game saw a first quarter laden with 19 turnovers between the two teams. The Utes added two baskets to the scoreboard before the Cougars went on a 10-0 run to advance the score 11-4. The flurry by BYU was contributed by Congdon and Emma Calvert who each hit three-point shots.

Utah answered with five straight points coming out of the media timeout. Kendra Gillispie secured a turnaround jumper off the bench to give BYU a four-point lead. Hustle from Brinley Cannon and Whiting produced two critical baskets in the final seconds of the quarter. The Cougars ended the first 10 minutes of the contest up 21-15 on the Utes.

The Cougars continued to push the pace on the court entering the second quarter. Congdon notched a shot from behind the arc, while Cannon registered a basket on a fast break layup. Gibb located the shooters earning an assist on both plays.

The Utes went on an 11-0 run fueled by three straight three-point buckets to retake the lead 28-27 with 5:03 left in the quarter.

The final minutes saw each side trade buckets beginning with Whiting’s second three-point make of the day. Utah took the lead into the locker room 37-35 with a layup in the final seconds on the clock.

Utah located back-to-back makes from behind the arc in the third quarter to stretch its lead to 43-37. Gibb registered a three to keep the Cougars in the mix with Utah answering on the next play with a second-chance three-pointer to maintain a four-point lead.

A block on the defensive end by Cannon led to Gibb locating Congdon on the outside wing for a three-point basket which put BYU within a point of the Utes.

Both sides kept the score close as the clock ticked down near the end of the third quarter. Utah recorded five unanswered points to give the Utes a six-point lead. Gibb helped the Cougars knot the score at 53 with three-consecutive layups. Utah ended the third quarter with the upper hand, 55-54.

The game continued to be fought from the three-point line to begin the final quarter. Congdon located her third made shot from behind the arc, which preceded a make from the Utes. Whiting landed a three-point bucket as the shot clock expired.

Gibb fueled a late-game surge with back-to-back three-pointers and ten total points in the fourth quarter alone. Barber contributed as well, shooting 100 percent from the free throw line with three makes from the line. The Utes (15-5 overall, 6-3 Big 12) prevailed with 11 made free throws in the quarter to finish off the game.

The Cougars (10-9, 1-7) will stay in Provo to face Colorado on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The game will tip at 7:00 p.m. MT and be broadcast on ESPN+ with the radio call on BYU Radio, byuradio.org and the BYU Radio App.