PROVO, Utah – Delaney Gibb and Brinley Cannon combined for 42 points as BYU pulled away from Stanford 76-61 Thursday night at the Marriott Center to punch its ticket to the WBIT Final Four.
In a game that stayed tight through three quarters, the Cougars flipped the script in the fourth, erupting for 26 points to turn a one-point lead into a double-digit win. BYU controlled the glass, outrebounding the Cardinal 53-36, and created separation late behind a dominant defensive stretch.
“Fantastic college basketball game. Two high-level teams competing out there,” head coach Lee Cummard said. “But I think the buy-in, the urgency and just the sense to compete in front of a great crowd was the difference in the game. It got close there, and Delaney [Gibb] kind of had a stretch where she just said, ‘I’m the best player on the court, and I’m going to show everybody.’”
Gibb led all scorers with 27 points, knocking down four threes while adding seven rebounds and four assists. The sophomore took over early in the fourth, hitting back-to-back triples that sparked a game-changing 15-0 BYU run.
With the win, BYU secured its 25th victory of the season, marking the program’s eighth 25-win campaign and first since 2021-22. The Cougars have now won three postseason games in a single season for the first time since advancing to the regional final of the 2010 WNIT.
The victory also makes Lee Cummard the winningest first-year head coach in program history, surpassing Jeff Judkins’ 24-win mark during the 2002-03 season.
Cannon added 15 points on an efficient 6-of-10 from the floor, delivering key buckets throughout the night, including a momentum-shifting and-one to open the final quarter.
Olivia Hamlin finished with 12 points, making plays on both ends with timely scoring and defensive stops during BYU’s fourth-quarter push. The freshman also tallied four boards, two assists and a block in the win.
Lara Rohkohl anchored the paint with a double-double, recording 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Kambree Barber added six points and 10 boards. Bolanle Yussuf added six points off the bench in the win.
First Quarter
BYU got on the board first with a layup from Barber, with both teams trading buckets early in a tightly contested opening stretch. Gibb led the early offense, finishing at the rim and finding Rohkohl on a late shot clock pick-and-roll, while Rohkohl added two from the line to make it 8-5.
Cannon pushed the pace with a coast-to-coast finish and later knocked down a mid-range jumper to keep the Cougars in front, but Stanford responded midway through the quarter to cut the deficit to one. Out of the timeout, Barber and Rohkohl connected again before Barber added a bucket of her own to extend the lead.
Stanford answered late, knotting the score at 16 and briefly taking its first lead of the quarter, before Gibb delivered a step-back three from the wing as time expired to give BYU a 19-18 advantage heading into the second, marking the third straight game the Cougars have led after the first quarter.
Second Quarter
BYU extended its lead early behind Gibb, who knocked down a pull-up jumper before finding \ Yussuf for an and-one to make it 23-18. Stanford responded with a quick run to take a 24-23 lead with 6:58 remaining in the half.
The Cougars answered immediately, as Gibb found Cannon in the corner for a triple to regain the lead. Gibb then converted an and-one of her own before connecting with Cannon again for another triple, capping a 9-0 run to push BYU’s advantage to 32-24.
Stanford trimmed the lead at the line, but a Gibb block led to a second-chance bucket from Hamlin to make it 34-26. Barber added two free throws with 1:35 remaining, and Cannon followed with a putback to keep BYU in control.
Stanford added a late bucket, but the Cougars took a 38-32 lead into the break.