PROVO -- Senior night for the BYU women’s basketball team was an intense back-and-forth battle highlighted by a career-high 20 points from Cassie King as the Cougars fell to the Cowgirls 55-57 in overtime.
“We had many opportunities to win the game,” said BYU women’s basketball head coach Jeff Judkins. “Coming out of the second half, the athletes played harder and gave it a lot better effort. We were a lot more aggressive and did a better job of attacking their zone but we were just unable to win the game.”
BYU honored its three seniors, guard Sarah Red-Hostetter, center Cassie King and guard Shawnee Slade, before the game.
The Cougars had a seven-point lead until Wyoming’s Elisabeth Dissen put up a three-pointer sparking Wyoming to a nine-point run. BYU freshman guard Stephanie Buhler ended BYU's scoring drought with a three-point shot.
A Mindy Nielson jumper at the buzzer at end the first half provided the halftime margin, 30-18 in Wyoming's favor.
Nielson also had the first two points of the second half, and the margin was narrowed to 24-32 after two made free throws by Coriann Wood and a shot from Cassie King.
The two teams battled for the next few points until King and Slade pulled together to bring in the gap 37-40 half way through the first half, until a steal and layup by Nielson brought the Cougars within one point of Wyoming.
Finally taking charge of the battle, King put up four points giving the Cougars their first lead of the second half, 46-45. Unable to hold the lead, but holding the Cowgirls, BYU stepped up its defense holding Wyoming and utilizing its offensive strength tying up the score 53-53 with 30 seconds left in the game.
With nine seconds left in the game, the score tied was 53-53 and neither team was able to convert, forcing the game into overtime.
Wyoming had the first two points in the overtime period, but King bounced BYU back into the game tying it up, 55-55. Unable to contain the Cowgirl offense, the Cougars fell to Wyoming 55-57.
King dominated the night with career-high 20 points, the most points in the game for both teams, and 12 rebounds, one short of a career-high. Close behind her was Slade with 16 points and Nielson with 10 points. This is the second-straight game with at least two BYU double-figure scorers.
The Cougars were a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line in regulation. The 100% is the best for this season.
The Cougars are on the road again to take on Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo. Saturday. The game will begin at 2 p.m. MT.
Official Basketball Box Score
Wyoming vs Brigham Young
03-04-09 7:00 PM at MARRIOTT CTR, BYU, PROVO UTAH
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VISITORS: Wyoming 16-12; 8-7
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
10 VANDERJAGT, Rebecca. f 1-2 1-2 0-0 1 3 4 1 3 0 2 1 2 21
41 CARLSON, Hillary.... f 5-11 0-0 2-2 1 6 7 4 12 1 2 3 1 27
03 RICHARDSON, Randi... g 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 15
12 SCHEFFLER, Kristen.. g 3-8 1-5 1-2 0 3 3 1 8 3 2 0 0 39
24 MCGUFFEY, Megan..... g 4-10 0-2 0-0 6 11 17 0 8 0 3 0 2 45
14 KENNEDY, Jade....... 2-4 2-4 1-3 1 3 4 2 7 3 2 1 0 24
21 LANGFORD, Emma...... 4-14 0-3 5-7 0 5 5 0 13 3 6 0 1 36
33 DISSEN, Elisabeth... 2-3 0-0 2-2 1 0 1 0 6 0 0 0 0 18
TEAM................ 3 3
Totals.............. 21-54 4-17 11-16 10 34 44 8 57 12 18 5 6 225
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-26 46.2% 2nd Half: 8-22 36.4% OT: 1-6 16.7% Game: 38.9% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-8 37.5% 2nd Half: 1-7 14.3% OT: 0-2 0.0% Game: 23.5% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 3-3 100 % 2nd Half: 6-8 75.0% OT: 2-5 40.0% Game: 68.8% 0
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HOME TEAM: Brigham Young 17-10; 7-9
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
23 WOOD, Coriann....... f 0-6 0-4 2-2 1 2 3 0 2 0 2 0 0 23
32 SLADE, Shawnee...... f 7-12 2-3 0-0 0 4 4 5 16 1 2 1 0 33
54 KING, Cassie........ c 9-14 0-0 2-3 4 8 12 3 20 0 1 0 0 35
03 FOREMAN, Jazmine.... g 1-10 0-2 0-0 3 4 7 3 2 6 2 0 2 36
22 NIELSON, Mindy...... g 5-16 0-3 0-0 0 5 5 1 10 5 2 1 6 45
13 JUDKINS, Jaime...... 0-2 0-2 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 3
14 HOSTETTER, Sarah R.. 0-5 0-3 0-0 2 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 15
21 BUHLER, Stephanie... 1-3 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 7
35 RILEY, Kristen...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 9
45 MOEAKI, Keilani..... 1-3 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 0 0 19
TEAM................ 3 3 6
Totals.............. 24-71 3-20 4-5 14 28 42 15 55 16 11 3 8 225
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 8-31 25.8% 2nd Half: 15-31 48.4% OT: 1-9 11.1% Game: 33.8% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-10 10.0% 2nd Half: 2-6 33.3% OT: 0-4 0.0% Game: 15.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 1-1 100 % 2nd Half: 3-3 100 % OT: 0-1 0.0% Game: 80.0% 0
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Officials: CHUCK GONZALEZ, WANDA SZEREMETA, ROBERT STRONG
Technical fouls: Wyoming-None. Brigham Young-None.
Attendance: 753
Score by Periods 1st 2nd OT Total
Wyoming....................... 30 23 4 - 57
Brigham Young................. 18 35 2 - 55
OFFICIAL FINAL
Points in the paint-WY 22,BY 24. Points off turnovers-WY 7,BY 12.
2nd chance points-WY 2,BY 6. Fast break points-WY 0,BY 2.
Bench points-WY 26,BY 5. Score tied-4 times. Lead changed-5 times.
Last FG-WY OT-04:48, BY OT-03:01.
Largest lead-WY by 14 1st-01:23, BY by 7 1st-13:27.
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