Cougars return home for Thursday night matchup with Idaho State

PROVO, Utah — After drowning the Pilots with 54-second half points on Saturday, the Cougars put their 9-1 record on the line as the Idaho State Bengals visit the Marriott Center on Thursday, Dec. 11. The game is set to tip at 7 p.m. MT and will be streamed on ESPN+. Fans can also tune in to BYU Radio 107.9, byuradio.org and the BYU Radio App for live play-by-play with Jason Shepherd.

Matchup Breakdown

BYU and Idaho State have met 18 times, with the Cougars holding a 15-3 lead in the all-time series. BYU has won 10 of the 11 games played in the Marriott Center, with the only loss coming on Dec. 17, 1990.

The most recent meeting came on Dec. 11, 2024, as BYU took down ISU 77-68 at Reed Gym in Pocatello. The last game in Provo ended with the Cougars handing the Bengals a 79-76 defeat in overtime on Dec. 16, 2023.

All-Time: 15-3

At BYU: 10-1

Cummard vs. Portland: Although a Lee Cummard-coached team has never played Idaho State, the first-year head coach was 3-0 against the Bengals during his playing career. Cummard averaged 12 points on 50-percent shooting, 6.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.7 blocks in three games against Idaho State. During his junior season, Cummard recorded a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double in a 90-69 win over ISU. He followed that up with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block as he led the Cougars to an 85-65 road win over the Bengals in Pocatello.   

BYU Cougars  ||  9-1, 0-0  ||  Big 12 Conference

WHAT'S AT STAKE? || With a win on Thursday, the Cougars would move to 10-1 on the season, the best record through 11 games in program history. BYU started 10-1 through 11 games in 2005-06, 2013-14 and 2021-22, with all three teams reaching the NCAA Tournament, and the 2013-14 squad advancing to the Sweet 16.

THE COUGARS LOVE THE 3-BALL || BYU currently holds the second-longest active and the third-longest all-time streak of games with a made 3-point field goal in NCAA women’s basketball. The Cougars have connected on at least one triple in each of the previous 805 games. The streak began on March 2, 2000 against Air Force.

AN OFFENSE THAT AGES LIKE FINE WINE || Despite leading in eight of 10 games at the half, the Cougars have continued to improve as the game wears on. BYU averages 33.8 first-half points on 38.2 percent shooting. In the second half, those numbers jump to 41.7 points and 47.2 percent from the floor. The Cougars have outscored opponents in seven of 10 second halves, including topping the Pilots 54-21 in the second half on Saturday, going 64.5 percent from the floor for the eighth most second-half points in program history.

COSMO'S SECRET STUFF || The Cougars have dominated the third quarter this season, outscoring opponents 21.8 to 14.4, an average margin of 7.4 points per quarter. On Saturday against Portland, BYU led by one at 33-32 entering halftime. The Cougars came out of the break with a 16-0 run to open the third to lead 49-32 with 6:05 remaining. BYU outscored the Pilots 29-10 in the frame to increase the lead to 20 by quarter’s end.

THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS || With their leading scorer, Delaney Gibb, out for the past five games, the Cougars have found ways to step up in her absence. Before Gibb went out with an injury, BYU had four players, including Gibb, who averaged 7.8 points or more per game. In her absence, BYU now has six players averaging over 7.8 points per game: Hudgins (15.3), Hamlin (10.0), Benally (9.7), Cannon (8.8), Rohkohl (8.7) and Mackey-Williams (7.8). Over the last six games, the Cougars’ top-6 scorers, excluding Gibb, have increased their total points per game from 57.1 to 60.3, with Hudgins doubling her output from 7.5 to 15.3 ppg. BYU is 5-1 in Gibb’s absence, with the only loss coming to No. 17 Vanderbilt.

DEFENSIVE MINDED COUGARS || The Cougars have held nine of their 10 opponents under the 70-point threshold and are 9-0 in such games. BYU has kept five of its foes under 60 points this season, and the Cougars are 20-2 over the past three seasons when surrendering less than 60 points. BYU’s only loss came at the hands of No. 17 Vanderbilt, which scored 84 points, 2.2 fewer than the Commodores’ season average.

BYU ranks 18th in the country and fourth in the Big 12 for opponent 3-point percentage, surrendering just 24 percent shooting and just 5.9 3-point makes per game. The Cougars also sit 30th nationally and fifth in the Big 12 in opponent field goal percentage, holding opponents to 34.5 percent from the field. Cummard’s squad has six players who average over a steal per game: Benally (2.1), Cannon (2.1), Gibb (2.0), Hamlin (1.6), Hudgins (1.5) and Rohkohl (1.4).

SHE'S A NIGHTMARE DRESSED LIKE A DAYDREAM || Since Delaney Gibb has been sidelined with injury, Marya Hudgins has emerged as the Cougars’ top scorer, averaging 15.3 points per game over the past six games. Over the past three weeks, the redshirt junior is shooting 47.7 percent from the floor, 52.6 percent from three and 83.3 percent from the charity stripe. Hudgins has more than doubled her scoring average of 7.5 from the first four games to 15.3.

Hudgins has scored 20 or more points in three of the last six contests, with 23 in the win over Montana on 7-of-15 from the field; a career-high 24 against No. 17 Vanderbilt on 10-of-14 shooting, going 4-for-5 from three; and 20 points in a 34-point win over Portland, with 11 points coming in the second half.

Head Coach – Lee Cummard

• Alma Mater: BYU, 2009
• Division I Career Record:9-1 || 1st Season