Davenport's career night leads Cougars to 76-36 over Utah Valley

PROVO, Utah – Senior guard Lauren Davenport propelled the Cougars to a 76-36 win over Utah Valley with a career-best 20 points and six made three-point field goals.  

“We have a thing we always say, ‘Sometimes it's you, sometimes it's me but it is always us.’," said head coach Amber Whiting. "Last game [at UTEP] it was Emma [Calvert’s] turn, tonight it was [Lauren Davenport’s] turn. I’m super happy that she was shooting hot when she was. It came at a great time. I’m also super proud that we held them to 10 points in the second half.”

Davenport etched a new career-best from behind the arc, knocking down 6-of-8 offerings from downtown. She was the leading scorer for BYU on the night, with 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field and contributed five rebounds to the cause. 

The 40-point win over the Wolverines was the Cougars’ largest margin of victory since Coach Whiting took over the program in 2022. It also marks the first time BYU had won by 40 points since downing the San Francisco Dons 99-58 on Jan. 29, 2022. 

A focus on defense from BYU held UVU to just 10 points in the second half, allowing five points in both the third and fourth quarters. The Cougars outrebounded the Wolverines 42-27 with 12 boards coming on the offensive glass. 

The Cougars were 11-of-24 from beyond the three-point line, shooting 46% in the contest. In a fast-paced game, Whiting's squad captured 15 points off of 21 Wolverine turnovers. BYU was a perfect 5-for-5 from the charity stripe. 

Freshman Delaney Gibb was the second-leading scoring on the night, contributing 14 points while going 2-of-4 from behind the arc. Sophomore Amari Whiting led the Cougars in rebounds and assists with 10 and five, respectively. Whiting also led the team in steals with four.

First Quarter

The Cougars were propelled to an early 7-2 lead to begin the contest. Gibb put the first points on the board with a layup from a drive down the right side. After a Wolverine basket, Kemery Congdon drained a three moments later from the top of the arc to make 5-2. Gibb continued the pressure on the offensive side with another drive under the basket after a turnover on UVU. Gibb found Congdon down low to secure a layup and further the lead to 7-2. 

Each side saw three-pointers on the next two possessions coming out of the timeout. The Wolverines cut the lead to 12-12 with a three-point basket. Coming off the bench, Kendra Gillispie secured a second chance layup off of a turnover with 2:23 left in the quarter. 

Time winded down with both teams forcing turnovers in the remaining minutes. With the clock expiring, Davenport knocked down a 27-footer for three to end the quarter with the Cougars up 17-12. 

Second Quarter

Utah Valley struck first after the break with a three-point bucket to cut the BYU lead to two. The Cougars replied with a 6-0 run with back-to-back jump shots from Whiting and Emma Calvert. Gibb capped the run with a driving layup to put BYU up 23-15.

Fighting off pressure from the Wolverines, Kambree Barber and Davenport each landed a basket from behind the arc to advance the Cougar lead. Calvert secured a second-chance layup to put BYU up 31-22. Barber dished to Gibb for two after an offensive board, before a UVU timeout with just over a minute left in the half. Davenport nailed her third three of the night for the Cougars’ final points in the half to send BYU into the locker room leading 36-26. 

Third Quarter

The Cougars came roaring out of the break with a 7-0 run. Whiting secured a second chance layup down low. Calvert capitalized on a Wolverine turnover with a fastbreak bucket. Davenport followed with her fourth three-point basket of the night to push the BYU lead up 46-23. 

A further focus on the defensive end led the Cougars to allow only five UVU points in the third quarter, a season-low for the team. 

The last two minutes of the period saw Davenport hit a fifth three-point field goal followed by a turnaround jumper by Calvert to advance BYU's lead to 55-31 before the end of the quarter. 

Fourth Quarter

Davenport continued to find the range with a jumper in the lane followed by her sixth triple of the night to fuel a 7-0 run to begin the final period. The senior headed to the bench for the final time having secured a career-high 20 points on the night.  

BYU maintained pressure for the remainder of the contest. Barber tacked on a driving layup which was added to by Gillispie with a right-handed hook shot moments later. Hattie Ogden scored a basket from the wing to add to the Cougars' three-point barrage. Naia Tanuvasa secured the final points of the night with a driving layup, finishing the contest 76-36 in favor of the home team.

Up Next

The Cougars head back on the road for a meeting with the Washington State Cougars on Dec. 13 at the Beasley Coliseum. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT with coverage on ESPN+ and BYUradio.