PROVO, Utah — BYU women's basketball defeated Houston 64-54 on senior night, led by senior Lauren Gustin's 19 points on Wednesday evening at the Marriott Center.
“I’m so incredibly proud of our girls," said head coach Amber Whiting. "They had the sole purpose and mission of fighting for the seniors and sending them out on a good note at home. They did just that and I couldn't ask for anything else.”
The Cougars never trailed, maintaining a lead that reached as high as 16 points during the game.
Gustin led BYU (16-14, 6-11 Big 12) with 19 points and 17 rebounds, marking her 28th double-double of the season in her final game at the Marriott Center. Fellow senior Kaylee Smiler added six points, one rebound, an assist, and three steals in her last home game.
Kailey Woolston contributed 16 points, going 5-of-8 from the field and 4-for-5 from 3-point range. Woolston also grabbed five rebounds and distributed three assists. Amari Whiting and Lauren Davenport posted 10 and nine points apiece for the Cougars. Whiting added six rebounds, four assists, and two steals to her double-figure scoring performance while Davenport finished with all nine points coming from distance as she went 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, along with two rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
BYU outshot Houston, 39 percent to 31.9 percent from the floor while also knocking down nine 3-pointers to Houston’s five. The Cougars in blue turned the ball over less than Houston (18-21) marking just the sixth game this season with fewer turnovers than their competition and recorded 15 assists to Houston's four.
First Quarter
A steal by Whiting and a 3-pointer from Woolston gave BYU an early 3-0 lead. Woolston continued her strong play with a jumper and another three, extending the lead to 8-0 and prompting a Houston timeout with just over seven minutes left in the quarter.
After the timeout, Whiting drove for a layup, increasing BYU's lead to 10-0. Houston scored its first basket at the 6:10 mark, cutting the deficit to 10-2.
Gustin's two free throws later extended the lead to 18-7, with the quarter ending at 18-9 in favor of BYU.
Second Quarter
Houston opened the second quarter with three free throws, narrowing the gap to 18-12. Woolston answered with another three, making it 21-12.
A 7-0 run brought Houston within four, but Gustin's inside scoring pushed BYU's lead back to six. Another Gustin basket extended the lead to 29-23. BYU's defense tightened, and Houston made just one of its last nine shots, leaving the halftime score at 32-25.
At the half, BYU outshot Houston, 41.4 percent to 25 percent, and led in 3-point shooting, 36.4 percent to 28.6 percent.
Third Quarter
Houston began with a quick jumper, reducing BYU's lead to five. An intentional foul led to two UH free throws, making it 32-29.
Woolston's fourth three pushed the lead to 35-29. A Woolston assist to Whiting, who scored and was fouled, increased the lead to 40-33.
After a media timeout, Davenport's corner three extended the lead to 45-35. A late Houston three made it 47-41, but no further scoring occurred in the quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Davenport and Whiting's 3-pointers extended BYU's lead to a game-high 16, forcing a Houston timeout with the score at 57-41.
Houston narrowed the gap to 57-47, but another Davenport three and consecutive layups from Gustin and Whiting sealed the win, with BYU improving to 6-11 in Big 12 play.
Up Next
The Cougars will head to Austin, Texas for a Saturday match-up with No. 3 Texas that will conclude the regular season. The game tips at 7 p.m. CT and will be available to watch on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ or to listen via live play-by-play on BYU Radio 107.9FM/BYURadio.org/BYU Radio App with Jason Shepherd.