Calvert's career-high 27 points lifts BYU over UTEP

EL PASO, Texas — A career-high 27 points for Emma Calvert and four Cougars in double figures took down the UTEP Miners 81-68 on Thursday night in El Paso.

“I am proud of how we played complimentary basketball tonight,” said head coach Amber Whiting. “I am excited to see how well we shared the ball tonight. Emma had a mismatch inside and did a great job exploiting it which opened up driving lanes and kick-out opportunities that we were able to capitalize on. This was a game where we needed everyone, and everybody stepped up tonight.”

Calvert scored early and often as she exploited the mismatch in the post en route to a career-high 27 points on 13 made field goals, also a career high. The senior went 13-for-18 from the field to best her previous career high of 22, without attempting a three and just one free throw attempt in the game. Calvert also finished with seven rebounds, four offensive boards, three blocks, two steals and an assist.

Delaney Gibb and Kemery Congdon each scored 15 points with Amari Whiting contributing 11 to the cause of a 13-point road win. The Cougars recorded 21 assists on the night, outrebounded the Miners 42 to 32 and scored 54 points in the paint to UTEP’s 26.

Gibb was an efficient 6-of-11 from the floor, knocked down three timely triples, grabbed five boards, dished four assists and recorded two steals on the night. Congdon also recorded four assists and three makes from downtown while going 6-of-14 from the field. The fifth-year senior also grabbed three rebounds and blocked a shot tonight. Whiting made 5-of-10 offerings from the floor while leading the BYU with seven assists.

BOX SCORE

First Quarter

The Miners opened the scoring with a bucket in the paint on their first possession, the Cougars countered with four-straight points from Calvert. After a 5-0 run by UTEP, Congdon found Calvert with a high-low pass for the bucket and the foul.

Congdon hit a right-corner triple on the ensuing possession to give BYU a 10-7 lead with 7:15 to play in the first. UTEP and BYU traded baskets with BYU making six-straight field goals to open a 19-14 lead at the first media timeout.

The Miners hit a triple out of the timeout to draw within three before a Brinley Cannon three-point play retook a five-point advantage at 22-17. With 2:18 left in the first, Kendra Gillispie scored in the paint for her first points of the night, giving BYU a 24-17 lead.

Second Quarter

Calvert scored the first four points of the quarter to push the Cougar advantage to double-digits for the first time at 28-17. The Miners wouldn’t go away as they went on an 8-0 run over 3:35 to climb within three at 28-25 with 4:32 to play in the half leading to a BYU timeout.

Out of the timeout, UTEP hit another triple to knot the game at 28 before Gibb found a cutting Davenport to end the 5:38 BYU scoring drought. With 1:17 left before halftime, Calvert grabbed an offensive rebound and found Whiting for a floater in the lane.

After a defensive stop, Whiting hit Congdon for a corner triple that was followed by a Calvert finish off the window with five seconds left to take a 37-30 lead into the locker room.

Third Quarter

The third period started the same as the other two quarters with Calvert hitting a jump-hook to open the scoring for the Cougars, followed by a Gibb layup to take an 11-point lead early in the third. UTEP scored four consecutive points to pull within seven with 5:51 left in the quarter.

After nearly three minutes without a basket, Whiting floated in the lane for two with 3:34 remaining to maintain an eight-point edge. With UTEP threatening, Congdon scored four-straight points to keep the Miners at arm's length with the third quarter winding down. 

In the final 40 seconds of the third, Calvert scored on back-to-back possesions to push the lead to double digits at 58-47, heading to the fourth.

Fourth Quarter

The Miners cut the lead to eight twice in the first five minutes of the fourth, but a three from Congdon and a jumper by Davenport kept the lead at 10. 

After a UTEP three to cut the lead to seven at 65-58 with 5:43 to go, Congdon hit a rim-running Heather Hamson for a layup to retake a nine-point lead. The Miners would not go away as they matched each BYU bucket with one of their own.

After a nifty up-and-under layup by Congdon to push the lead to nine, Gibb hit a pull-up triple from the right wing to extend the lead to 12. After a stop on the defensive end, Gibb found Cannon for a fast-break layup to go up 14 with 3:03 to play.

After a miss by Congdon, Calvert snatched the offensive board and kicked to an open Gibb for three for a game-high 17-point lead with 2:00 left. Calvert scored on the next BYU possession to cap a career-high night with 27 points.

Up Next

BYU will return to the confines of the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Dec. 10 to face the cross-town rival Utah Valley Wolverines. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT with the game broadcast on ESPN+. Fans can also tune into live play-by-play of the game with Jason Shepherd on BYU Radio 107.9FM/BYURadio.org/BYU Radio App.