PROVO, Utah — BYU women’s basketball delivered a dominant defensive performance and its highest-scoring first half of the season to earn an 81-46 win over UTEP on Saturday at the Marriott Center.
"We rebounded really well in that first quarter, in the first half and then our offense kind of followed suit in the second quarter and going forward," head coach Lee Cummard said. "Overall, I loved the contribution from a lot of people. We got to see a lot of different lineups out there, and I am grateful that for the most part, through non-conference, we’re pretty, pretty healthy, all things considered. And just thought it was a pretty complete game relative to some of our more recent games.”
The Cougars set the tone early, building a 42-14 halftime advantage behind efficient offensive possessions and sustained pressure on the defensive end. BYU shot 52 percent in the first half while holding UTEP to 17 percent from the field and forcing eight turnovers before the break.
Olivia Hamlin led all scorers with 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including four makes from deep. Kambree Barber, in just her third game of the season, added 13 points, seven rebounds three assists, two steals and two blocks in the win.
Marya Hudgins chipped in 11 points and five boards. Sydney Benally finished with eight points and a game-high seven assists, while Bolanle Yussuf pulled down nine rebounds to go with eight points.
BYU continued to control the game after halftime, pushing the lead to as many as 37 points in the fourth quarter. The Cougars finished the night shooting 49 percent from the floor, outrebounding the Miners 51-29 and recording 22 assists on 32 made field goals.
Defensively, BYU limited UTEP to 30 percent shooting and just three made triples, while tallying seven blocks and nine steals in the wire-to-wire victory.
First Quarter
BYU opened the game on a 5-0 run as Benally knocked down a three off a Brinley Cannon assist, followed by Cannon with a finish at the rim. UTEP answered with a basket in the paint, but the Cougars continued to generate second-chance opportunities and inside scoring to build an early lead.
Yussuf added a score in the paint and recorded a block on the defensive end, while Hudgins converted a pair of free throws at the line. The Miners closed the quarter with a late layup, but BYU carried a 13-6 lead into the second. The Cougars held UTEP to six first-quarter points, the fewest first-quarter points surrendered this season.
Second Quarter
BYU’s defense set the tone in the second quarter, forcing two shot clock violations and converting stops into offense. Hudgins opened the period with a spinning finish in the paint before Benally attacked off the dribble and found Barber for back-to-back baskets, pushing the Cougar lead to 19-6 with 6:39 remaining in the half.
BYU continued to create separation with balanced scoring, as Hudgins buried a corner three off a baseline inbounds play, after which Hamlin added points from the charity stripe. The Cougars closed the half on an 8-0 run over the final 1:46, capped by a step-back three from Hamlin and a late triple from Hattie Ogden off a Benally assist, heading into the locker room with a 42-14 advantage.
The 42 points marked BYU’s highest-scoring first half of the season, as the Cougars shot 52 percent from the field, forced eight turnovers and held UTEP to 17 percent shooting going into halftime.