BYU earns first Big 12 win over Cincinnati as five Cougars score in double figures

PROVO, Utah – BYU women’s basketball secured its first Big 12 Conference win against the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday at the Marriott Center, 68-58.

“First Big 12 win. This is huge,” head coach Amber Whiting said. “I could not be more proud of them. I told them it was going to take everyone, and they all came together, and not one person went astray. Everybody just bought in, everybody came together, and they got it done. So I am really proud of them.”

The win was a team effort as five Cougars scored in double figures with Kaylee Smiler adding nine points to the cause. BYU shared the ball and got everyone involved as six BYU players combined for 18 team assists on 25 made baskets. 

Emma Calvert secured her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, going five-for-nine from the field. The junior added three blocks, two assists and a steal in the 10-point win. 

Lauren Gustin continues to dominate as she notched her nation-leading 16th double-double of the season and 72nd of her career with 11 points and ten rebounds. She added a season-high eight assists 

With 1,469 rebounds, the senior is just 14 rebounds away from breaking the all-time BYU rebounding record held by Tina Gunn (1,482).

For the fourth time this season, Lauren Davenport recorded two blocked shots, both of them coming within six seconds of game time. Saturday’s game also matches her season high of three three-pointers, going three-for-four from downtown for 11 total points.

1st Quarter

Cincinnati won the tip but didn’t hold onto the ball long as Calvert blocked the first shot of the game out of bounds. On the other end, Smiler dished it to a rolling Calvert for a quick layup. 

Amari Whiting settled the Cougars down by hitting a three after two quick BYU turnovers, bringing the score to 7-5. After an assist from Calvert, Davenport took the pick-and-roll to the basket for her first bucket of the game. A driving layup from Whiting at the buzzer allowed the Cougars to take the lead heading into the second, 13-12. 

2nd Quarter 

The Cougars came into the second quarter hot, starting with a pass over the top from Rose Bubakar to Calvert for the layup. A quick halfcourt pass in transition from Whiting and a Bearcat foul sent Smiler to the line, where she went two-for-two.

A Bearcat miss took the Cougars back to their end of the court, where Whiting passed across the court to an open Kailey Woolston for three. Gustin passed to Woolston on the next possession for another three, bringing the score to 23-15 and forcing the Bearcats to take a timeout. 

The scoring party didn’t end there, as Calvert finished off the glass for two with an assist from Whiting straight out of the timeout. Quickly, Bubakar and Smiler knocked down threes of their own, with Lauren Davenport adding another triple from downtown. 

After a half in which the Cougars made six threes, went 15-of-30 from the field and assisted on 10 of 15 made field goals, BYU went into the break leading 38-26.  

3rd Quarter 

After the intermission, the Bearcats came out on a 7-0 run. In the first five minutes of the quarter, only Gustin was on the board for the Cougars with two made free throws and two layups, the Bearcats creeping back in, 44-36. 

Turnovers continued to plague BYU as they coughed it up four more times in the third quarter, allowing the Bearcats to secure four points off mistakes. A buzzer-beating three from Woolston gave the Cougars a 51-44 advantage heading into the fourth.

4th Quarter 

Davenport opened the fourth with a left-corner three to put the Cougars up by 10, quickly followed by a layup from Whiting, both of which were matched by the Bearcats. 

A layup from Gustin ignited a 6-0 run for the Cougars, with Calvert and Woolston securing their own buckets. On the defensive end, a big denial by Calvert, along with two consecutive blocks from Davenport kept the Bearcats at bay for over three minutes. 

After the run, the Cougars ran into a scoring drought of over four minutes, which was finally squashed by a layup from Calvert. Trips to the line from Calvert, Whiting, and Smiler in the final minute brought the final score to 68-58, with the Cougars securing their first Big 12 conference win. 

Up Next

The Cougars will head to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to take on the Oklahoma State Cowgirls on Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Jason Shepherd will also provide live play-by-play on BYU Radio 107.9, byuradio.org and the BYU Radio app.