Hamlin leads BYU past Houston 76-66 in first round of Big 12 tournament

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The No. 9-seeded BYU Cougars defeated the No. 16-seeded Houston Cougars 76-66 on Wednesday afternoon at the T-Mobile Center in the opening round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament.

After scoring only 29 first-half points, BYU poured in 27 points in the third quarter, outscoring Houston by 12. This charge was led by Lara Rohkohl, who posted eight in the third.

The Cougars in blue had four players finish in double figures, led by Olivia Hamlin’s 16 points. Delaney Gibb and Rohkohl each scored 15 points, with Sydney Benally contributing 14 to combine for 44 of BYU's 76 points.

Rohkohl nearly recorded a double-double with her 15 points and eight rebounds. She added three assists and a steal. This is the 12th time this season the senior has scored in double figures, with BYU winning all 12 of thosegames. Hamlin tallied five rebounds, two steals and two assists.

First Quarter

Gibb got BYU on the board first with a 3-pointer, but on Houston’s next possession, it returned the favor. Both teams then went cold, failing to score from the field for four minutes before Gibb knocked down another three, capitalizing on a Houston travel to extend the lead to 9-4 with 4:35 left in the quarter.

The teams exchanged layups to close the quarter, but 10 first-quarter turnovers yeilded just two points for Houston, leaving BYU ahead 11-10 lead after the first 10 minutes.

Second Quarter

Neither team could score until Rohkohl made a layup off a Benally assist. Benally capped a 5-0 BYU run with a 3-pointer to take a six-point lead.

Another scoring drought followed before Gibb hit a step-back 3 from the wing to keep BYU in front, 24-18. Houston went on a 4-0 run to cut it to two, but Olivia Hamlin answered with a 5-2 run to fight back. Houston tied the score at 29 with a jumper to beat the halftime buzzer.

Third Quarter

Brinley Cannon came out of the locker room and knocked down an immediate 3-pointer, and Rohkohl extended the five-point run with a layup, forcing Houston to call a timeout.

Both BYU lineups exchanged free throws, but Houston hit a three with 7:03 left in the quarter to cut the deficit to one. Cannon answered with a three of her own. Both teams then went cold, with all subsequent attempts coming from beyond the arc.

With 3:55 remaining in the third, BYU went on a 9-2 run to take a nine-point lead at 48-39. Hamlin started the run with a free throw, before Rohkohl and Benally scored a layup and a jumper, respectively, with three of the four baskets coming off Houston turnovers.

Barber, Bolanle Yussuf and Hamlin combined for a 6-0 run to close the quarter with BYU ahead 56-44.

Fourth Quarter

Houston opened the fourth quarter with an 11-2 run in the first three minutes. Gibb snapped the run with a basket off the glass.

Benally made her second 3-pointer of the game to keep the lead at six. Just over a minute later, Hamlin assisted Rohkohl on a layup. After holding Houston without a field goal for more than three minutes, the Cougars in red made a jumper to cut the deficit to 65-59.

Hamlin fueled an 8-0 BYU run with a layup and a jumper. Barber and Gibb added a jumper and two free throws before Hamlin cashed in on a second-chance score to go up 13 with 1:46 left.

Houston made a late jumper, but BYU secured a 76-66 win in the first round of the tournament.

Up Next

BYU will move on in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship and will face No. 8-seeded Utah on Thursday, Feb. 5, with tip-off at 12:30 p.m. MST. Watch broadcast live on ESPN+ or listen to live play-by-play with Jason Shepherd on BYU Radio.