BYU Cougars || 8-1, 0-0 || Big 12 Conference
WHAT'S AT STAKE? || After Olivia Hamlin's buzzer-beater pushed the Cougars to 8-1 on the season, the Cougars have the opportunity to move to 9-1 on the season with a win against Portland. With a win, Cummard's squad would match the best record in program history through 10 games. BYU started 9-1 through 10 games in 2005-06, 2013-14 and 2021-22, with all three teams reaching the NCAA Tournament, and the 2013-14 team advancing to the Sweet 16.
DEFENSIVE-MINDED COUGARS || The Cougars have held eight of their nine opponents under the 70-point threshold, with four scoring less than 60 points. BYU is 8-0 when holding opponents to less than 70 points. The Cougars’ only loss came at the hands of No. 17 Vanderbilt, which scored 84 points, 2.2 fewer than its season average.
BYU ranks 43rd nationally and fifth in the Big 12 with 4.8 blocks per game. Rohkohl ranks 49th in blocks with 14, while Cannon and Yussuf have contributed seven and six blocks, respectively. The Cougars sit fifth in the Big 12 for steals with 10.7 per contest. BYU has six players who average over a steal per game: Benally (2.0), Gibb (2.0), Cannon (1.9), Hudgins (1.6), Rohkohl (1.6) and Hamlin (1.4). The BYU defense also ranks 32nd in the country in opponent field goal percentage, giving up only 34.3 percent shooting, good for fifth in the conference.
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 five players averaging over nine points per game: Hudgins (14.4), Benally (10.0), Hamlin (9.6), Mackey-Williams (9.2) and Rohkohl (9.2). Over the last five games, Hudgins, Benally and Mackey-Williams have increased their scoring averages from the first four games by a combined 12.1 points. BYU is 4-1 in Gibb’s absence, with the only loss coming to No. 17 Vanderbilt.
CRASHING THE GLASS || BYU currently ranks second in the Big 12 with 43.78 rebounds per game, also good for 27th in the country. The Cougars have six players averaging 4.0 rebounds or more per game, with four recording 5.9 or more boards. Lara Rohkohl leads the way with 7.2. The others: Brinley Cannon (6.4), Marya Hudgins (6.3), Bola Yussuf (5.9), Olivia Hamlin (4.8) and Delaney Gibb (4.0).
PLAY HARD, PLAY RIGHT, PLAY TO WIN || 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.”
NEW SWIFTIE IN TOWN || Since Delaney Gibb has been out with injury, Marya Hudgins has emerged as the Cougars’ top scorer, averaging 15.8 points per game over Gibb’s four-game absence. In games against Montana, Weber State, Virginia Tech and No. 17 Vanderbilt, the redshirt junior is shooting 52.6 percent from the floor, 70 percent from three and 84.2 percent from the charity stripe. Hudgins has more than doubled her scoring average of 7.5 points from the first four games to 15.8 over the last four.
Against Montana, Hudgins scored a career-high 23 points on 7-of-15 shooting with four rebounds, two assists, two steals and went 7-of-9 from the line. She followed that up with an 11-point, five-rebound game against Weber State. In the Virgin Islands, Hudgins topped her career high with a 24-point, 12-rebound double-double, the fourth of her career against No. 17 Vanderbilt. She went 10-of-14 from the field, going 4-for-5 from downtown and notching a career-high three assists in the process.
Head Coach – Lee Cummard
- Alma Mater: BYU, 2009
- Division I Career Record: 8-1 || 1st Season
