SEATTLE -- Playing its first road game of the 1999-2000 season, the BYU women's basketball team posted a convincing 85-62 win against the Washington Huskies Tuesday night in Seattle.
The Huskies came into the game with an impressive 21-4 home opener record, but could not continue the streak against the hot Cougars. Following a last-second win over Oklahoma City University Saturday night, BYU came into Tuesday's game to dominate from the opening tipoff to the ending buzzer. The Cougars jumped out to a 44-28 lead by halftime and did not look back en route to the 23-point win.
Senior co-captain Jill Adams, a center, had an explosive night for the Cougars, leading the team in scoring with 24 points as well as rebounds (10) and assists (7), just narrowly missing a triple-double. Senior forward Cady Williams scored 19 points, while freshman forward Jennifer Leitner had a breakthrough game, chipping in 19 points of her own.
"We really shot the ball well in both the first half and the second half, and that was key for us," BYU head coach Trent Shippen said.
BYU also shot extremely well from the foul line, converting on 16 of 19 free throw attempts. The Cougars outrebounded Washington as well, 33-27.
For a team that went 5-10 on the road last season, an early victory away from home against a strong Pac-10 opponent was key. Washington was a second-round WNIT competitor last season and has participated in the NCAA Tournament 12 out of the last 15 seasons.
"This was an excellent win for us, no question about it," Shippen said. "It helps to give us that boost of confidence we need on the road."
With the win, BYU improved to 2-0 on the season, while the Huskies dropped to 1-2. BYU will return home for its next game against Gonzaga at 7 p.m. Friday in the Marriott Center.