PROVO — Five years ago, Lexi Eaton led Springville to back-to-back state titles and two Utah Gatorade player of the year awards.

Now Lexi Eaton Rydalch is leading the BYU women's basketball team to championships, including the Cougars' first-ever WCC regular-season title.

As the West Coast Conference's all-time leading scorer, Rydalch and her coaches and teammates reflected on her impressive college career on the eve of snapping Gonzaga's run of 11-straight regular-season championships, building to likely further success in the NCAA Tournament.

"The last time I had this same great feeling was when we went to the Sweet 16 a few years ago," junior guard Makenzi Morrison Pulsipher said.

Chemistry has been key to the Cougars' run, which includes the current 15-game winning streak, an undefeated 12-0 mark at home, and the 12th-best RPI in the country.

Rydalch has been a part of them all.

"We figured out how to come together, how to stick together and how to find ways to win," said Rydalch, who has averaged 17.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game throughout her career. "It's really important, even if you have ugly wins — you have to scratch and claw to get to the top.

"All that matters is that W."

This season almost didn't happen for Rydalch. The former Springville High star tore her anterior cruciate ligament early in the 2012-13 season, earning her a medical redshirt and the chance to play one final year with the Cougars (23-4, 15-1 WCC).

Point guard Kylie Maeda remembers that year well. She also went through an ACL tear alongside her fellow senior, and the two have come to know each other well.

"The thought of being able to come out on senior night and winning the conference is something really special, and something that has never been done," Maeda said.

Even before the regular-season title, BYU was enjoying a special season. With just four losses — all away from the Marriott Center, the Cougars are all but a lock to make their fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in the past five seasons.

Through it all, Rydalch has established herself as one of the best players in the history of the program.

"It's nice to know that when you come out and play these types of games that you have someone that has the competitiveness that she does," Pulsipher said of her teammate. "You know it means a lot to her."

BYU coach Jeff Judkins has called Rydalch a coach's dream, often repeating that he wished he had her for five more years.

"To be able to coach her and see her mature as a player has been great," he said.

Rydalch earned All-American honors at Springville, and had plenty of options to continue her college career.

But there was never any doubt where she wanted to go to school.

"I wanted to take BYU's program to the next level," she said. "To get BYU's name out there, and in turn, spread the gospel."

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BYU women clinch first outright WCC title with win over San Diego

Lexi Eaton Rydalch had one more game remaining in the Marriott Center, and one final game to clinch BYU's first-ever outright West Coast Conference title. And she was not going to be denied. Rydalch scored 12 of her game-high 33 points in the fourth quarter, and the BYU women's basketball team held off San Diego 68-60 on Senior Night in front of 2,293 fans at the Marriott Center.

Rydalch averages 24.6 points per game, the fifth-most in the nation, and she makes the game look easy.

But getting to that point was hard after her sophomore year.

"We started from the bottom again," Maeda said. "She is one of our best players, and one of our hardest workers.

"All the success that she's had, she's worked for it."

Added Rydalch: "People see all the success, and they don't realize how many lows there really are behind the scenes. It's through those lows that you learn what kind of character you have as a person.

"I feel like through those times, I was able to develop as a person and build character."

Since the time she could tie her basketball shoes, Rydalch has been coachable, too.

"Lexi has always respected my decisions, and she's always done whatever I've asked her to do," Judkins said. "I've been on her the hardest, and she's accepted that, and she doesn't take it personal. I think by doing that, she's achieved and has done what she's really wanted to do.

"All she's wanted to do here was win and bring success to BYU."

Rydalch's future remains in basketball. The WNBA will come calling, as well as Europe. But before that, she still has some goals to accomplish with her BYU teammates.

"It's been a special ride, and a good senior season to cap everything off," she said. "We're hoping to keep it going and make some more noise in the tournament this year."

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