Cougars and Billikens meet on the hardwood for first time in Hawaii

LAIE, Hawai'i — BYU women's basketball will take on the Saint Louis Billikens on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 3 p.m. HT/6 p.m. MT at the George Q. Cannon Center, marking the first time the Cougars and Billikens have met on the hardwood.

The game can be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, BYUTV, byutv.org and the BYUTV App with Spencer Linton and Kristen Kozlowski on the call. It will also be broadcast live on BYU Radio 107.9, byuradio.org and the BYU Radio App with Jason Shepherd on the call.

BYU Notes (3-0, 0-0 Big 12)

• Breaking the ice in the Big 12: Woolston was honored as the Big 12 Freshman of the Week on Nov. 20. She averaged 18.5 points, and eight rebounds on 66.7 percent from the field and 61.5 percent from deep this week en route to the first Big 12 weekly basketball honor for any BYU Cougar on the men’s or women’s side.
• Defense + Scoring = Wins: The Cougar defense has held their first four opponents to 49.3 points per game. During the 2022-23 season, Whiting’s squad notched a 14-4 record when holding teams under the 60-point threshold. BYU only scored more than 67 points ten times last season.  The Cougars have done so in their first three games this year, averaging 67.8 points per contest in 2023-24. When scoring 67 or more points last season, the Cougars earned a perfect 9-1 record.
• Newcomer's Contributions: The newcomers have played just over 400 of 800 minutes for the Cougars through four games. Whiting, Davenport and Woolston have accounted for 135 of 271 Cougar points (.498), 59 of 187 rebounds (.315), 26 of 57 assists (.456) and 13 of 28 steals (.464). 
• Freshman Phenoms: Amari Whiting and Kailey Woolston came to BYU as high school stars and have picked up right where they left off. The freshmen average 29 points per game, 11.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists through four games.
• First time for everything: Tuesday's matchup between the Cougars and Billikens will mark the first time the two teams have shared the hardwood on the women's side.

Head Coach – Amber Whiting

• Alma Mater: BYU, 2001
• Division I Career Record: 20-17 (2^nd Season)
• Record at BYU:  20-17 (2^nd Season)

Saint Louis (3-2, 0-0 A10)

• Scoring Barrage: The Billikens have lit up the score sheets over their first five games, scoring 79 or more points in three of the five games. Three Saint Louis players average 13 or more points with their starting five each scoring more than eight points per game. Despite scoring 82.6 points per contest, the Billiken defense also gives up 77.4 points on a 42.9 percent clip.

• Kyla McMakin: McMakin is the heart of the Saint Louis offense and has scored 91 points through five games, 18.2 per game, to lead SLU. The graduate transfer from Longwood shoots 43.8 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from behind the arc and 91.3 percent from the line.  She also contributes 3 rebounds and 2 assists per contest.

• Making it Rain: Peyton Kennedy, a 5-11 senior, has lit it up from downtown in the first five games of the season. Kennedy has started each of the first five games, averaging 15.0 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 57.9 percent from behind the loop.

• Turnover Trouble: The Billikens have been plagued by the turnover monster this season, averaging 17.6 turnovers per game. Despite turning it over frequently, they also force 16.4 takeaways, averaging 8.8 steals per 40 minutes.

• Crashing the Boards: Saint Louis averages 41.2 rebounds per game with six players grabbing more than three rebounds per game. The leading rebounders for SLU are Tierra Simon at 7.4 per game, Julia Martinez at 6.4 and Marcavia Shavers at 4.0.

Head Coach – Rebecca Tillett

• Alma Mater: William & Mary, 1999
• Division I Career Record: 71-88 (6th Season)
• Record at Saint Louis: 20-20 (2nd Season)