Benally's career-high 18 lifts BYU over Virginia Tech

ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands — BYU downed Virginia Tech 64-60 in game one of the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam on Thanksgiving Day behind a career-high 18 points from Sydney Benally.

“Tonight was a physical, hard-fought game where our girls’ toughness really showed through,” head coach Lee Cummard said. “Sydney [Benally] and Olivia [Hamlin] handled Virginia Tech’s pressure with a lot of maturity and poise. I couldn’t be prouder of the way this team fought to win this game.”

Benally scored 15 of her career-high 18 points in the second half to go along with five second-half assists and no turnovers. The freshman point guard was 5-of-15 from the floor, knocking down 2-of-5 offerings from distance. She finished with seven assists, two steals and two boards.

Fellow freshman Olivia Hamlin and senior Lara Rohkohl each finished in double-figures, with 11 and 12, respectively. Hamlin knocked down two triples and grabbed six rebounds in the win. Rohkohl finished 6-of-7 from the floor with two boards and a block.

BYU shot 40 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from downtown, the highest percentage of the season from behind the arc. The Cougars outscored the Hokies 32 to 18 in the paint and forced 18 Virginia Tech turnovers, leading to 10 points off giveaways.

First Quarter
The Cougars and Hokies started slow with just 12 combined points in the first 5:31 minutes, with the game deadlocked at six. After a scoring drought of 3:43 for the Cougars, Hamlin scored three-straight points, one from the line and a score off the glass to pull BYU within one at 10-9.

Gunlock gave the Cougars a one-point lead with less than a minute to go in the quarter with a two-for-two trip to the stripe. After Virginia Tech retook the lead, a buzzer-beating basket by Bola Yussuf gave BYU a one-point advantage heading to the second period.

Second Quarter
The Cougars held the Hokies without a basket for the first 4:13 of the second half and pushed the lead to four with a layup by Rohkohl and free throws by Benally and Hudgins. Two consecutive Virginia Tech buckets squared he game at 19 with 4:01 remaining in the half.

After Benally found a rolling Rohkohl for another score, the Hokies scored five-straight points to take a 27-23 lead into the break.

The Cougars took just three 3-point attempts in the first half, the fewest attempts from deep in a half this season.

Third Quarter
After Tech pushed the lead to six on its first possession of the half, Benally found a cutting Rohkohl to open the second-half scoring for the Cougars.

Again, down six with 6:01 left in the third, freshmen Benally and Hamlin knocked down back-to-back triples to tie the game. Benally then recorded her fifth assist on a dish to Yussuf, who scored at the rim, to give BYU a two-point lead at 35-33.

The Hokies countered with a five-point burst to go up three, but the Cougars responded by holding Virginia Tech scoreless over the final 2:53. In that time, Cannon and Hudgins combined for seven of eight-consecutive points to take a 43-48 lead into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter
The Hokies hit a three to start the fourth before consecutive cores from scores from Cannon and Rohkohl pushed the lead to six. Hamlin hit a three with 5:37 left to put BYU up eight.

Virginia Tech scored six-straight points to cut the lead to two with 3:05 remaining before Benally hit a top-of-the-key triple to retake a five-point advantage. After a pair of Hoie free throws, an elbow jumper by Benally, followed by two free throws from Hamlin, pushed the advantage to seven with 17 seconds remaining, capping a 64-60 win for BYU.