Rydalch, Purcell help BYU women's hoops snap losing streak with win over Utah State


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PROVO — Lexi Eaton Rydalch knows she has one responsibility in her senior year: score points.

She did plenty of that Tuesday morning.

Rydalch scored 13 of her game-high 28 points in the second period and Kalani Purcell added 14 points, 21 rebounds, six assists and three steals to help the BYU women's basketball team snap a two-game losing streak with an 81-69 win over in-state rival Utah State.

"We were really clicking. I think the key is that we need to start off strong," said Rydalch, who also had three assists and three steals. "When we do that, we are all in attack mode and that opens up passes and shots."

Rydalch, who had 20 points at halftime, shot 4 of 8 from the 3-point line to bolster the Cougars' 55.3 percent shooting in the first half. BYU finished shooting just 41 percent after a streaky first half gave way to a sluggish third and fourth quarter.

BYU (2-2) returned to the Marriott Center to a Tuesday-morning crowd of 2,808 mostly elementary-school children who appeared eager to get out of class and cheer for the Cougars after a 73-47 loss at Oklahoma and 61-55 loss at Colorado State.

It also proved to be a coming-out party for newcomer Purcell, who finished with her first career double-double at 14 points and 21 rebounds.

"She was the best rebounder I've seen in a long time," BYU coach Jeff Judkins said. "I would like for her to become more polished offensively. She drove it today one time and laid it hard at the rack, but she's got to do that more.

"She rebounded well the whole weekend. It was just a great effort by her."


We were really clicking. I think the key is that we need to start off strong. When we do that, we are all in attack mode and that opens up passes and shots.

–BYU guard Lexi Eaton Rydalch


The Cougars ended the first period making six of their last eight shots from the field, capped by Rydalch's jumper to go up 27-18 to end the period. Rydalch had a team-high seven points, two rebounds and two assists in the opening period, and Purcell added six.

Utah State leading scorer Funda Nakkasoglu went down in just under four minutes into the game. The sophomore from Hampton, Australia, tumbled after her legs were caught by BYU point guard Kylie Maeda on a drive to the basket.

The play drew a foul on Maeda but also drew blood on Nakkasoglu when she smacked her forehead against the hardwood under the basket. Nakkasoglu returned to the Aggies' bench at the start of the second period sporting a sizable goose egg but did not return to the game.

Still, Utah State (2-2) pulled to within six at 33-27 when Brewster capped off a run of three-straight buckets with a jumper from the field, but Rydalch answered with a triple from the right wing to go back up 36-27 with 5:40 to go until halftime.

"I think we finally started to jell together pretty well," said Purcell, whose team dished out 17 assists on 21 made shots in the first half. "After the weekend we had, we were disappointed and we wanted to come out with a bang. We practiced hard, and it turned out well for us. We moved the ball well."

Purcell's layup off a steal with 1:48 left in the third quarter gave the New Zealand native her first double-double at 11 points and 16 rebounds. Purcell also finished with four assists in the 20-point victory.

"I think because I was new to the team and the coaching staff, I didn't have as much confidence," said Purcell, who shot 6 of 16 from the field. "Lexi was talking to me Monday about scoring, so she gave me a lot of confidence. It helps when the team tells me I can shoot it; I'm allowed to shoot it."

Makenzi Morrison Pulsipher added 10 points on 5-of-15 shooting for BYU, despite missing most of the third quarter after picking up her fourth foul. Amanda Wayment and Cassie Broadhead each scored seven points off the bench for BYU.

"It's nice to be home. It was really nice to have those little kids running around screaming. I think the energy got us off to a good start tonight. I thought the first half was as good as we've played in a long time."

Utah State came back in the fourth quarter, when it outscored the Cougars 20-10. But the damage was already done.

Rachel Brewster led the Aggies with 17 points, two assists and two steals, and former Viewmont star Katie Toole added 12 points and a pair of steals for Utah State, who travel to Northern Colorado for a Dec. 1 tipoff.

Victoria Price scored all 10 of her points in the second half to go along with six assists for Utah State.

TIPINS — The Cougars unveiled a banner commemorating their 2014-15 WCC Tournament title during Tuesday's pregame ... The game was played as BYU's annual partnership with local elementary schools, teachers and children ... BYU travels to Northridge, California, to face Georgia and Penn State or Cal State Northridge before returning home Dec. 12 to host rival Utah following a trip to Hawaii.

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