Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The second season of BYU women's basketball under head coach Amber Whiting came to a close Thursday night in an all-too-familiar gym.
Tess Heal scored 12 of her game-high 17 points, and Lara Edmanson added 16 points and six rebounds as Santa Clara held off BYU 60-59 in the opening round of the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament at the Leavey Center in Santa Clara, California.
Amari Whiting had 14 points, seven rebounds and two assists; and Kaylee Smiler added 13 points, three rebounds for the Cougars, who shot 42.3% from the field, 9-of-22 from 3-point range and 6-of-16 from the free-throw line.
Lauren Davenport added 10 points and four rebounds, and Lauren Gustin 6 points and 11 rebounds for BYU, which played without its leading 3-point shooter Kailey Woolston following a knee injury in the Big 12 Tournament.
"I'm so freaking proud of my women," the second-year BYU coach said after the game. "Losing Woolston was really, really hard this week. We had to start messing with some different lineups and it changed what we were doing across the board, but they all came together, and they fought together. We could down the board with turnovers, missed free throws, and whatever … but I've learned more from them than any other team I have before."
After trailing by as much as 9 points early, BYU rallied to take a 27-23 halftime lead and Emma Calvert ended the third quarter with a pair of 3-pointers to help the Cougars to a 41-39 edge ahead of the fourth.
With Whiting on the bench with four fouls, the two former WCC rivals exchanged blows throughout the final period.
A 3-pointer by Edmondson? Here's a triple by Smiler. Davenport connected on a triple to give BYU a 55-53 lead, but Edmanson immediately responded to push the Broncos back in front with 2:08 remaining.
.@byuwbb takes the lead#ElevateTheGame x 🎥 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/bcm2xV7D2A
— Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (@wbitwbb) March 22, 2024
Rose Bubakar drained a 3 from the left wing to tie the game at 58-58 with 53 seconds left.
"What a great college basketball game; that was exciting," Santa Clara coach Bill Carr said. "Having played them a number of years, we knew exactly who she was and how good (Gustin) was. Last year, we didn't double her and she had 28 or so; we weren't going to do that again. She's a really good player, she got hers, but what a team win for us."
But Heal drove from the top of the arc to the rim for the gamewinner with 4 seconds left to send the Broncos to the second round.
Gustin was fouled on Whiting's missed shot with no time left, but the senior made 1-of-2 foul shots as Santa Clara held on to advance to face Washington State in the second round of the tournament that runs parallel to the men's NIT.
"She's an All-American," Whiting said of Gustin, who was named Assocated Press All-American honorable mention Tuesday. "Her game does not come down to that free throw."
