PROVO, Utah – Lexi Eaton poured in 24 points and Morgan Bailey scored 20 as BYU women's basketball beat Loyola Marymount 74-59 Saturday afternoon at the Marriott Center.
"It was a nice win," BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. "I thought we played really well in spurts. Morgan Bailey had her way in the post today. Lexi Eaton had a great week. I thought she played really well."
The win marks five in a row for the Cougars, and puts BYU (19-5, 11-2) all alone in second place in the West Coast Conference. The Lions are now 3-21, 1-12 in WCC.
Bailey recorded a double-double, adding 12 rebounds to her 20 points. The senior was perfect from the free-throw line, converting on all six attempts. Eaton pulled down eight boards in addition to her 24 points. Kylie Maeda and Makenzi Morrison led the team in assists, dishing out six each.
Eaton sparked the Cougars' offense, scoring the team's first six points on two 3-pointers. The junior guard went on to score 16 first-half points to lead all scorers.
BYU took its first double-digit lead halfway through the first half when Xojian Harry followed 3-pointers from Kristine Fuller and Eaton with a jumper in the lane. Harry's bucket put the Cougars up 22-11.
Bailey went to work for BYU in the last five minutes of the half. After scoring just two points in the first 15 minutes of the half, Bailey scored eight points in the last five minutes.
In the final seconds before the midway point, Kylie Maeda drove coast-to-coast and finished over two defenders to give BYU a 41-26 lead going into the locker room. The Cougars rode a 12-5 run over the last five minutes of the half to give themselves their largest lead up to that point.
The second half began with BYU extending its lead, jumping out to a 57-32 t advantage with just under fifteen minutes left in the game. With Eaton in foul trouble, the Lions fought back over the next ten minutes, cutting the Cougars' lead to 68-55 with five minutes left.
Bailey helped BYU hang on for the win, scoring the Cougars' last six points on two lay-ins in the post and a pair of free throws, securing the 74-59 victory.
BYU hits the road next week to take on St. Mary's on Thursday at 6 p.m PST. The game will be broadcast live on theW.tv. Live stats will be available on the BYU women's basketball schedule page.
Postgame Notes
Team
BYU led LMU 41-26 at the half after Kylie Maeda drove to the basket and scored a layup with four seconds left. The Cougars shot 50 percent in the first half. They went on to win 74-59, shooting 49 percent overall. The team is now 15-1 when leading at halftime.
After the first 20 minutes of action, BYU outrebounded LMU 24-10, nine of which were offensive rebounds. At the break, the Cougars had 12 second chance points. BYU won the rebounding battle 45-27 by the end of the game for the 13th time on the year.
The Cougars dished out 11 assists in the first half, compared to seven from the Lions. BYU ended up with the 20-12 advantage.
In the paint, the Cougars scored 34 points. The Lions had 24. BYU also scored four fast break points.
Player
Lexi Eaton
Eaton scored 16 points in just the first 20 minutes, including three treys. She had 24 points and eight rebounds when she fouled out with 6:14 left in the second half. The points were game highs as were the three made treys.
Morgan Bailey
At halftime, Bailey had 10 points on 4 of 6 shooting, including five rebounds. She finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the season. From the charity stripe, Bailey was perfect, making all six attempts. The rebounds were game highs.
Kylie Maeda
Maeda dished out five assists in the first half alone. At the conclusion of the game, she had six assists and seven points. The assists tied for game highs.
Makenzi Morrison
Morrison had a well-rounded game with six rebounds, six assists, five points and two steals. The assists tied for game highs.
Xojian Harry
Harry scored eight points on 3 of 7 shooting, including two 3-pointers. She also grabbed five rebounds.