PROVO, Utah — Freshman Sydney Benally dished a game-high 11 assists and senior forward Lara Rohkohl posted a double-double as BYU women’s basketball defeated Coastal Carolina 91-57 on Wednesday night at the Marriott Center.
The Cougars led 36-29 at halftime before putting together a 20-0 run to open the third quarter, shooting 75 percent from the field and outscoring the Chanticleers 22-4 in the frame. After leading by just six entering the third, BYU had pushed its lead to 21 at 58-37 entering the fourth.
“I thought we continually made the right play and shared the ball,” head coach Lee Cummard said. “We knew their style would create some opportunities, and it was great to see us take advantage of that and stay aggressive throughout the game.”
Benally finished with eight points, 11 assists and six steals, marking the first time a BYU player has recorded 10 assists in a game since Shaylee Gonzales in 2022. Rohkohl added 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting and pulled down 10 rebounds for her first double-double as a Cougar.
“It just happened because of our team chemistry,” Rohkohl said. “Sydney deserves a shoutout. She saw everyone who was open. Eleven assists as a freshman is really impressive. It’s so much fun to play with her.”
Sophomore guard Brinley Cannon led all scorers with 16 points, while freshman Olivia Hamlin chipped in 13 points, five steals and three assists. Redshirt junior Arielle Mackey-Williams added 12 points off the bench on 3-of-5 shooting with a pair of triples.
BYU turned defense into offense all night, forcing 27 turnovers and converting them into 36 points. The Cougars also thrived in transition, outscoring the Chanticleers 27-2 in fast-break points. Cummard's squad also held a 38-20 advantage in the paint.
Shooting 48 percent from the field and assisting on 27-of-30 made shots, BYU’s offensive rhythm never wavered. The Cougars’ 91 points marked the first time a BYU team has scored 90 or more points since Jan. 29, 2022. The Cougars also locked it down on the defensive end, tallying eight blocks and 18 steals to earn Coach Cummard his first win as a head coach.
First Quarter
Coastal Carolina struck first with an opening layup before Cannon answered in the post to even the score at 2-2. Delaney Gibb followed by drawing contact and sinking both free throws to give BYU its first lead of the night at 4-2.
Benally connected with Rohkohl for back-to-back post scores, helping the Cougars stay in front despite the Chanticleers knocking down their first three-pointer to make it 9-8 midway through the quarter. Gibb continued her aggressive start, converting two more free throws before finding Cannon for her second triple of the game to spark a 5-0 run and extend BYU’s lead to 13-9.
Rohkohl added another basket inside, but a late Coastal three trimmed the margin as the Cougars closed the quarter with a 17-14 advantage.
Second Quarter
Momentum swung the Cougars’ way early in the period as Hamlin finished back-to-back fast-break layups, both set up by Benally to give the freshman guard five assists midway through the quarter. Benally then found Braeden Gunlock in the corner for her first 3-pointer of the night, capping a 7-0 run that pushed the lead to 24-14 and forced a Coastal Carolina timeout.
The Chanticleers answered with an and-one conversion and a brief 5-0 spurt before Gibb scored in transition off a full-court feed from Benally, extending the advantage to 26-19. Continuing to work the ball inside, Hamlin connected with Rohkohl along the baseline and Cannon buried a second-chance 3-pointer to make it 31-26.
Late in the half, Coastal converted another three-point play, but Hamlin responded with a mid-range pull-up jumper from the short corner. Cannon found Marya Hudgins for a corner three in the final minute to send the Cougars into halftime with a 36-29 lead. Rohkohl led all scorers with 10 points and five rebounds through two quarters of play.