Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO — The BYU women’s basketball team could’ve folded.
Despite holding visiting Saint Mary’s to just 35 percent shooting, the Cougars gave up a double-digit lead and were tied with just over two minutes remaining Thursday night in the Marriott Center — a similar spot as in last week’s 64-63 loss at Santa Clara to open West Coast Conference play.
Cassie Broadhead wouldn’t let them sulk, though.
Broadhead scored 22 points, and Kalani Purcell and Kristine Neilson each blocked critical shots in the final two minutes to help the Cougars hold on for a 70-65 win over the Gaels.
“Those kind of situations are stressful. But with the timeouts, Cassie and Kenzi (Pulsipher) calmed everyone down, and it wasn’t a freak-out moment,” Purcell said. “Cassie focused on defense, Kenzi calmed them down, and it helped us calm down. The small encouragements helped us calm down.”
Of course, Purcell saved the day, as well. Besides totaling an eye-popping 18 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and two steals for BYU (8-6, 2-1 WCC), the senior from Hamilton, New Zealand, stuffed Carly Turner’s shot with 46 seconds that threatened to give the Gaels what would’ve been their only lead of the game.
“That block won us the game, shifting that momentum,” Broadhead said of Purcell’s stuff. “It was actually my man, I got beat, and (Kalani) covered me. She had my back and had our team’s back. I think it was the most crucial play of the game.”
Pulsipher finished with 16 points for the Cougars.
Devon Brookshire came off the bench to lead Saint Mary’s (6-8, 1-2 WCC) with 15 points and five rebounds, and Megan McKay added 12 points and five boards, including a pair of game-tying free throws with 2:26 remaining after trailing by as many as 18 points.
“I thought we played a great first half. But the second half, we played into their game,” BYU coach Jeff Judkins said. “We didn’t handle the pressure very well. We weren’t sharp until I put them in a different offense to break it. They’re a hard team, and they never quit.”
Purcell scored nine of her 14 first-half points in the second quarter to help BYU take a 38-25 lead at the break.
The Cougars made their first four shots of the game but had a tight advantage until freshman Brenna Chase entered in the first quarter. The Colorado prep star hit back-to-back shots to help BYU end the opening period on a 7-0 run for a 22-13 advantage, and Purcell scored the Cougars’ first four shots of the second quarter to open up the 13-point halftime lead.
Broadhead scored 13 points in the first half, slashing in the lane and hitting a 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer to pace the Cougars.
“She has the scorer’s mentality, and she’s our best scorer,” Judkins said. “I’d like to move her to the wing and create more stuff for her. She was driving in the first half … and in the second half, we didn’t do that.”
Still, BYU held Saint Mary’s without a field goal for the first four minutes of the second half and led by as many as 18 points after Pulsipher drained a 3-pointer with 6:37 left in the third quarter.
But the Gaels clawed their way back, holding BYU cold from the field for more than three minutes and to just one fourth-quarter field goal before the final two minutes of play.
Saint Mary’s tied the game at 59 when McKay hit a pair of free throws during an 11-0 run with 2:29 left.
Broadhead took over down the stretch.
“Our team is better when Kalani and I are aggressive,” she said. “I wasn’t as aggressive in the third quarter, and I knew going into the end of the game that I had to be more assertive. There was a mismatch, and it was a good read by her. But Kalani won us the game; she passed them.”
The junior from Glenville, New York, hit a reverse layup 34 seconds later, and the starting point guard scored nine of the Cougars’ final 11 points to hold on for the win.
“When you play well and lose momentum, we could come back and make the plays we had to make. That’s what we did,” Judkins said. “Sometimes that’s better than winning by 25. We lost to Santa Clara like that, so to come back and make the plays we had to make was big for us.”
