First Quarter
Utah opened the scoring with a three to take a 3-0 lead on the first possession. After three straight BYU misses, the Utes hit a second triple followed by consecutive Utah scores in the paint to push the lead to 10-0 with 6:08 left in the opening quarter.
After starting the game, 0-for-5 from the floor, the Cougars got on the board with 5:53 remaining with Delaney Gibb hitting a left-corner triple. Utah countered with back-to-back scores before a backdoor pass from Lauren Davenport found Gibb for a score off the window to pull BYU within 12 at 17-5.
With 1:42 left in the first, Whiting scooped and scored for two plus the foul which she converted for an old-fashioned 3-point play to pull within 10 at 18-8. Following a defensive stop, Gibb hit a three from the left wing to trim the lead to seven at 18-11. A right-corner triple by Kemery Congdon capped an 11-1 run to end the quarter and pull BYU within four, finishing the first quarter down 18-14.
Second Quarter
After a fast-paced first, the Cougars and Utes went two scoreless minutes to start the second. The scoring drought was snapped by back-to-back layups by Gibb and Whiting to knot the game at 18 before a Utah jumper to retake a 20-18 lead.
The Utes pushed the lead to five with a three before back-to-back buckets by Kendra Gillispie to keep BYU within one at 23-22. A high kiss off the glass from Gibb trimmed the deficit to five with 4:34 to go in the half.
Utah held BYU without a basket for 3:24 in which time, the Utes pushed the lead to nine before a deep two from Congdon snapped the scoring drought. Whiting split a pair at the line to climb within six before back-to-back scores by the Utes pushed the lead to 10 at the break.
Third Quarter
Whiting went to the line and made both to open the scoring for BYU in the second half. A drive and score off the window by Brinley Cannon trimmed the lead to six at 37-31. After forcing a Utah turnover, Gibb found Congdon for a triple from the top of the key to pull within three at 37-34 just two minutes into the third.
After a Utah score, BYU countered with a pick and roll for Gibb who found a rolling Calvert for two. The Utes held the Cougs without a score for three minutes before Cannon grabbed an offensive board and scored on the second-chance opportunity with 3:38 to go. A pull-up jumper by Gibb cut the lead to two, but two Utah free throws again pushed it to a two-possession game heading to the fourth quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Congdon opened the fourth with a left-side triple on BYU’s first possession to pull within one at 44-43 but was immediately followed by a Utah three.
After an offensive foul was called on Gillispie, a technical foul was assessed to Gillispie. Utah made both free throws and scored on the ensuing possession to extend the lead to eight at 51-43 with 8:24 to play.
After a steal by Whiting, Gibb finished off the window in transition, assisted by Cannon to climb within six but a Utah bucket retook an eight-point advantage. With 4:46 remaining in regulation, Gibb knocked down her third three of the night to again pull within five at 53-48 heading into the media timeout.
Out of the timeout, the Utes pushed the lead to nine before Gibb hit back-to-back threes to cut the lead to three with 3:35 remaining in the game. After a miss by Congdon and a stop on the defensive end, Congdon reloaded and knocked down a right-wing triple to tie the game at 57. On the ensuing Utah possession, Gibb stole the inbound pass and took it coast-to-coast to give BYU its first lead of the game.
After Utah free throws again knotted the game, Gibb kicked to Davenport who hit her first three of the evening to take a three-point lead with 23 seconds remaining. After a timeout to advance the ball, Utah buried a three to send the game to an extra session.
Overtime
Utah and BYU traded free throws to open overtime with Gibb knocking down both offerings from the charity stripe. After a Utah post score, Calvert immediately hit a right-handed scoop off the glass to knot the game at 66.
After more free throws gave Utah a one-point lead with 2:49 to go, Gibb hit a left-side jumper to put BYU up one. Three Utah free throws and two from Gibb deadlocked the game at 71 apiece with 2:26 remaining.
With 35 second left, Gibb came off a screen and hit a pull-up jumper from the right wing to give the Cougars a two-point lead. After a blocking foul on Gillispie, Utah again tied it up with 18 seconds remaining. After a BYU turnover, Utah’s Matyson Wilke hit a half-court heave as the horn sounded capping a 76-73 loss for the Cougars.
Up Next
BYU now awaits its seeding for the Big 12 Championship in Kansas City, MO next week. The Cougars will play in their first-round game on Wednesday, March 5 at the T-Mobile Center on ESPN+ with the game broadcast live on BYU Radio with Jason Shepherd on the call.
