Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
CINCINNATI, Ohio — A few moments after the BYU women's basketball team closed the book on the Cougars' Saturday morning road tilt at Cincinnati, Lauren Gustin gained another rebound to boost her line to the third 20-20 game of her senior season with an adjustment to the stat tracker.
It was that kind of game for BYU's all-time rebounding leader.
Gustin finished with 21 points and 20 rebounds, and freshman Kailey Woolston poured in 20 points, five rebounds and six assists as the Cougars pulled away for a 69-57 win over the Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.
It's Gustin's nation-leading 23rd double-double of the season, and her third 20-20 game in a little over a month. But it's also the first time Gustin has performed in back-to-back wins in Big 12 play — the Cougars had never done that in their first season in the conference.
Not until Saturday, at least.
"I have to be grateful at what she brings every night, but it's also kind of expected," said BYU coach Amber Whiting, stifling a laugh as Gustin sat next to her after the BYU's first road win in league play. "Twenty and 20 on the daily is like easy money for her."
Cougs are making it happen from the key 🪄
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) February 10, 2024
It's been all @byuwbb in the second quarter from Fifth Third Arena.
📺 Big 12 Now on ESPN+pic.twitter.com/IswDgcskCU
Less than 72 hours after approximating a triple-double in a home upset of No. 19 Baylor, Amari Whiting added 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists for BYU (14-11, 4-8 Big 12).
The Cougars shot 47% from the field with eight 3-pointers, held Cincinnati to 29%, and outrebounded the Bearcats 45-33 that included a 37-22 margin on the defensive glass — Gustin's specialty, where the nation's leading rebounder posts 10.1 of her 15.2 boards per contest.
Jillian Hayes had 16 points and seven rebounds to lead the Bearcats (12-11, 4-8 Big 12), and Reagan Jackson scored 14 for Cincinnati in snapping their two-game winning streak.
Woolston shot 5-of-8 from the field with a pair of 3-pointers for 12 points with three assists, and Gustin added 8 points and eighth rebounds as the Cougars took a 33-30 halftime edge.
BYU shot 44% from the field before the break. But Malea Williams had 10 points, and Jackson added 9 to pull within 3 at the break.
The Cougars got 9 points from the bench in the first half, mostly through Lauren Davenport's 6. They then held the Bearcats to a single field goal while exploding into the third quarter, knocking down 6-of-11 shots during a 14-5 run capped by Woolston's fourth triple with 4:52 on the clock.
.@KaileyWoolston hits her FOURTH 3⃣ of the day and the Cougs lead 47-35 with 3:37 to go in the 3rd quarter.
— BYU Women's Hoops (@byuwbb) February 10, 2024
link to watch👉https://t.co/qSAOckWcXJpic.twitter.com/QsBYwbJdeE
"I think we just came out aggressive right from the start, kind of like against Baylor," Gustin said. "Then we made the right adjustments (in the second half)."
BYU held the Bearcats to 2-of-17 shooting during a 19-9 run through the third quarter.
Cincinnati opened the fourth on an 8-2 run to cut the deficit to 54-49 on Jenks' layup with 7:51 to go. But Whiting scored 6 of her 10 points in the final period to help the Cougars close it out.
The Bearcats scored 17 points off BYU's 16 turnovers, forcing eight of them in the fourth quarter to creep back within single digits a few times. But BYU hit 5-of-6 from the free-throw line to stay ahead down the stretch.
"We have to take care of it defensively, that's first and foremost," the Cougars' second-year head coach said, noting Kaylee Smiler's 7 points and five assists. "But I don't talk about points; I talk about defending. You go out on the road in the Big 12, you have to defend — and our defense showed that tonight."
BYU next travels to Orlando to face UCF at 4 p.m. MST Tuesday. The Cougars are back home next Saturday, Feb. 17 against Kansas.