BYU Cougars || 2-0, 0-0 || Big 12 Conference
WHAT'S AT STAKE || With a win, the Cougars would move to 3-0 under first-year head coach Lee Cummard. Three consecutive wins to open the year would mark the best start to a season by a first-year head coach in program history. Courtney Leishman started 2-0 in his first year as BYU’s head coach in 1977.
LUCKY NUMBER 7 || Olivia Hamlin is picking up right where she left off in high school and has been a scoring machine for the Cougars in her first two games. Hamlin went 5-for-8 from the floor for 13 points against Coastal Carolina. She then one-upped herself on Saturday with 18 points on 5-of-12, including knocking down two triples. She also filled up the stat sheet with four rebounds, two assists and a steal in the win.
STELLAR SYDNEY || In her first two collegiate games, Benally is leading the Cougars in assists with 8.0 per game. The true freshman led the Cougars with 11 assists to go along with eight points, six steals and two boards in the win over Coastal Carolina. She followed that performance up with five assists, three steals and five points in the win over San Jose State. Benally’s 11 assists marked the first time a Cougar player has recorded 10 assists in a game since two-time WCC Player of the Year Shaylee Gonzales on Feb. 10, 2022.
HOT POTATO || Coach Cummard has been emphatic that his team will share the love, make the extra pass and make the right play. Through two games, Cummard’s squad has assisted on 45 assists of 55 made field goals for an 81.8 percent assist rate. Four Cougars recorded multiple assists against San Jose State, with Gibb leading the charge with six assists, five from Benally and two from Cannon and Hamlin.
POUNDING THE GLASS || BYU is crashing the glass, averaging 50.0 rebounds per game in the first two games of the season. The Cougars have six players averaging 3.5 rebounds or more per game, with five recording 5.0 or more boards. Lara Rohkohl leads the way with 10.0. The others: Brinley Cannon (7.0), Marya Hudgins (5.5), Delaney Gibb (5.0), Bola Yussuf (5.0) and Olivia Hamlin (3.5).
PLAY HARD, PLAY RIGHT, PLAY TOGETHER || In his first meeting with the team following his hiring, Cummard emphasized that results don’t come without hard work and that he was going to prioritize the team’s inputs this season and let the outcomes take care of themselves. Brinley Cannon spoke on the team’s mantra at Big 12 Media Day by saying, “Coach Lee has brought an emphasis on playing right, playing hard and playing to win. I think we’ve implemented that really well this offseason, and I’m excited to see how we can continue to grow on those gains as the season goes on.”
Head Coach – Lee Cummard
- Alma Mater: BYU, 2009
- Division I Career Record: 2-0 || 1st Season
- Record at BYU: 2-0 || 1st Season
