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PROVO — Amari Whiting picked a great time to have arguably the best game of her young collegiate career.
Whiting had her first career double-double 14 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, and BYU women's basketball used a 21-2 run to turn a 13-point deficit into a 79-76 overtime win over Idaho State in the Cougars' nonconference home finale Saturday afternoon at the Marriott Center.
Lauren Gustin added 18 points and 21 rebounds — her 65th career double-double — for the Cougars (9-2), and Kaylee Smiler scored 17 points, including 5-of-6 from the free-throw line to help close out the Bengals.
Kailey Woolston supplied 12 points and six rebounds for BYU, which shot just 6-of-25 from 3-point range and 23-of-36 from the free-throw line but had all five starters score in double figures for the first time this season.
But with all that working against them, the Cougars found a way to win a third straight game — and learned a few things about themselves and their high-flying four-star freshman in the process.
"Never say die. Never quit. We went on a 16-0 run after we were down 13; if that doesn't show what can happen on defense. … We had to get stops," BYU coach Amber Whiting said. "I kept saying, it's a long game, and I knew we could be in this. I just love that they came together, pulled it out, and had that experience to be able to pull through. That builds a lot of memories and a lot on and off the court, of just playing and fighting for each other."
Tasia Jordan, who fouled out in regulation with a team-high 22 points and five rebounds, cut the deficit to one with an and-1 in transition, and Nika Lokica tied the game at 70-all with a 3-pointer with 28 seconds left to force overtime.
SMILER FOR THE LEAD 🔥
— BYU Women's Hoops (@byuwbb) December 16, 2023
Link to Watch👉https://t.co/lyvqQUpVekpic.twitter.com/bq6D9WipRE
Lokica finished with 9 points and four rebounds, and Kacey Spink added 15 points and six rebounds for the Bengals (4-5) in their fourth game against a Power Five opponent.
But the Cougars held Idaho State to one field goal in the extra session, and Emma Calvert helped close it out with 2 of her 11 points during a 6-2 finishing run that ended on a pair of free throws by Smiler.
"We weren't shooting the ball great at halftime, but I told her to keep shooting," Whiting said of Smiler, the senior who played in front of her family from New Zealand for the first time in her collegiate career. "If she had any breathing room, please shoot.
"She's a knock-down shooter … and she left the game to get staples in her head. No numbing or anything; she came right back in. If that doesn't show toughness, I don't know what she does. But she wanted to be out there with her girls, and that speaks to her character and toughness. She was big for us."
BYU went on a four-minute scoring drought in the second quarter, and shot just 2-of-10 from the field before Woolston's second 3-pointer of the game lifted the Cougars to a 34-30 edge with 1:53 left in the half.
But Maria Dias and Jordan each scored 9, as the Bengals shot 8-of-19 from the field in the second quarter and ended the half on a 7-0 run to take a 37-34 lead at the break.
Whiting had 9 points, four rebounds and three assists at the break, Gustin added 8 points and 11 rebounds, and Woolston supplied 8 points and three dimes in the first half.
But the Cougars committed 12 turnovers that Idaho State turned into 14 points, and the Bengals cashed in eight offensive rebounds into 11 second-chance points to become the first visiting team to lead at halftime in the Marriott Center.
Jordan had 15 points and five rebounds by the time she picked up her fourth foul, and the Bengals shot 61.5% from the field including 3-of-4 from 3-point range to take a 57-47 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Cougars trailed by as much as 13 with 8:23 remaining, but used an 14-0 run propelled by Whiting's defense, a bushel of fouls, and a 3-pointer by Smiler to take a 61-60 edge with 4:47 remaining.
"I was turning the ball over a lot, and I knew I had to get it back," said the younger Whiting, who also had four steals with three turnovers while while struggling with sickness. "Control what you can control; next play mentality, pick it up on defense, and I think all of us were in the fight. We wanted it bad. So we picked it up on defense."
Whiting pushed the lead to 63-60 with a bucket in transition, capping a 16-0 run that put Idaho State on its heels with five players with three or more fouls to help BYU hold on.
The Cougars travel to Missouri for a pair of games against Missouri State and Nevada before opening Big 12 play Saturday, Dec. 30 against TCU.
