BYU vs. Saint Mary's Box Score
PROVO, Utah – Cassie Broadhead Devashrayee and Brenna Chase led BYU women’s basketball to a 63-54 win over Saint Mary’s at the Marriott Center on Thursday evening.
"I’m really proud of these guys," BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. "I thought tonight we played better defense than we’ve played in a long time. It was a different kind of defensive effort—it was guarding people off the dribble, looking to help and recover while trying not to foul them."
Devashrayee and Chase combined for 43 of BYU’s 63 points, with Devashrayee recording 22 and Chase finishing with 21. Malia Nawahine and Sara Hamson led BYU in rebounds with each securing five.
The first quarter started out slowly with both teams trading missed shots. Hamson put up the first basket of the game for the Cougars (12-8, 7-2 WCC) and Saint Mary’s (13-7, 6-3 WCC) followed soon after with one of its own. The Gaels maintained the lead throughout much of the quarter until a basket from Chase allowed the Cougars to take the 10-8 lead. Chase led the Cougars with seven points and Devashrayee finished with six to end the first quarter ahead, 17-11.
The Cougars maintained the lead for the remainder of the half. BYU went on a 6-0 run to increase its lead 32-21, the first double-digit lead of the game. The Cougars ended the half leading the Gaels 32-25.
BYU started the second half with back-to-back jumpers from Amanda Wayment and Devashrayee to increase its lead to 11, 36-25. A 10-0 BYU run brought the Cougars to a 46-28 lead. The run included 3-pointers from Devashrayee and Nawahine. The Gaels countered with an 8-0 run of their own to cut in to the Cougar’s lead, 46-36. A Devashrayee 3-pointer gave BYU the 49-38 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Chase started the momentum for the Cougars in the fourth quarter with back-to-back baskets and a steal to extend the lead to 53-40. Chase’s baskets, which included a 3-pointer and two made free throws, fueled a 13-0 Cougar run. The run gave the Cougars a 62-40 lead with 4:11 left in the game.
The two teams traded baskets until the Gaels went on 9-0 run to cut into BYU’s lead. The SMC run wasn't enough, as the Gaels fell to the Cougars 63-54.
BYU travels to Stockton, California, to take on Pacific on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 2:00 p.m. PST. The game will be carried live on BYU Radio - Sirius XM 143 and can be streamed live at TheW.tv
BYU vs. Saint Mary’s Postgame Notes
Team
With the 63-54 win, the Cougars are now 10-0 when leading at halftime. BYU is now 6-2 at home against Saint Mary’s.
The Cougars held the Gaels to their lowest scoring output in conference play this season.
Two Cougars scored in double digits for the sixth time this season: Devashrayee (22) and Chase (21). Cassie Broadhead Devashrayee was the lone Cougar to score in double figures in BYU’s loss at Saint Mary’s on Dec. 30.
BYU finished the game with 34 points in the paint to the Gaels’ 18. The Cougars also recorded more fast break points than SMC (12 to zero).
The Cougars dished out 15 assists to the Gaels 10. BYU has now logged more assists than its opponent in eight games this season. The Cougars had 11 blocks, while Saint Mary’s had four. BYU has had more blocks than its opponents this season in 15 games to date.
BYU led for 35:17 against Saint Mary’s.
Player
Cassie Broadhead Devashrayee had a game-high 22 points against the Gaels and passed Bekah Stafford for 23rd place in all-time points at BYU. Devashrayee also tied for a team-high five rebounds.
Brenna Chase recorded her sixth-straight double-figure performance against SMC, scoring 21 points, and has scored more than 20 points in three of her last four games. The sophomore also logged four assists, three steals and two rebounds in the win.
Malia Nawahine recorded game-highs in assists and steals, with six and five, respectively. Nawahine also had seven points.
Sara Hamson notched seven blocks against SMC and now has 73 blocks on the season. The freshman passes her sister Jennifer Hamson who logged 72 blocks during her junior year. She also had two points, five rebounds and one assist. The Cougars are 6-1 with Hamson in the starting lineup.