LAS VEGAS – Dani Peterson scored a career-high 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help Brigham Young beat three-time defending champion Gonzaga 78-66 for the West Coast Conference tournament title on Monday.
The Cougars (26-6) won their first WCC tournament after 12 years in the Mountain West Conference. The victory earned them an automatic bid for their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2007.
Sophomore Haiden Palmer led No. 23 Gonzaga (26-5) with a career-high 28 points. Kayla Standish added 18.
Tournament MVP Haley Steed and reserve Jennifer Hamson had 17 points apiece for BYU, which outrebounded the Bulldogs 36-21.
The teams split their regular-season series, with BYU winning 70-40 in Provo, Utah, on Feb. 9 and Gonzaga rolling to a 77-60 victory on Feb. 25. But Gonzaga had owned the WCC tournament.
The top-seeded Bulldogs were playing in a record sixth consecutive championship and seeking to become the first team to win four straight WCC women’s tournament titles.
BYU grabbed control by turning up its defense in the second half, holding Gonzaga to 34.4 percent shooting after the break.
Hamson’s 17 points came on 7-of-11 shooting, while Peterson made 8 of 10.
Dani PetersonBYU | F | Sr.
| PTs | Reb | FGM-A |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | 12 | 8-10 |
Steed went 3 for 4 from beyond the arc as the Cougars went 7 for 14 from 3-point range.
Standish was 6 for 16 from the field. Katelan Redmon fared even worse, going 3 of 11.
The first half was a series of runs.
Gonzaga put together a 9-0 surge, holding BYU scoreless for more than 4 minutes, to build a 32-24 lead with 5:09 remaining.
Palmer fueled the run with five straight points. The sophomore made her first seven shots from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers, and finished the first half with 16 points.
The Cougars fought back a third time behind freshman Lexi Eaton, Kristen Riley and Steed, outscoring Gonzaga 12-3 over the final five minutes of the half.
BYU led despite committing 11 first-half turnovers that led to 13 Gonzaga points.
Jennifer holding the trophey after the game.
Jennifers Dentist Dr Gifford was at the Gonzaga game and sent her flowers.
(Paul Fraughton | The Salt Lake Tribune) . BYU's women's basketball team reacts to the announcement that they were selected as a number 10 seed to play DePaul in the Des Moines Region of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Monday, March 12, 2012
BYU women: Cougars draw No. 10 seed, will play DePaul
BYU, delighted by its seeding, will face DePaul in the first round.
By Kyle Goon
| The Salt Lake Tribune
Provo • The BYU women’s basketball team knew it was going to be called — only no one knew when.
The players sat front and center in the BYUtv auditorium, watching the names tick out two by two on the theater-size screen. The Cougars wanted to know where they’d be in the Big Dance, and the buzz grew louder and more excitable as 60 teams flashed by.
Photos
At a glance
No. 10 BYU vs. No. 7 DePaul
Tipoff » Saturday, 4:30 p.m. MDT
Location » All-State Arena, Rosemont, Ill.
The set-up » The Cougars aim for a first-round upset in their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2007.
Fun fact » BYU last played DePaul in the postseason in a 1982 WNIT appearace, beating the Blue Demons 72-69 in the first round.
 | Join the Discussion |
 | Post a Comment |
Finally, the crowd of more than 100 players, coaches, family and fans got their chance to stand and cheer as their long-awaited destination was revealed: BYU earned a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will face No. 7-seeded DePaul at 4:30 p.m. MDT Saturday in Chicago.
The Cougars stood up, cheering and clapping at their good fortune — and it grew even louder as images of themselves celebrating flashed on national TV.
"We’re excited, even though it wasn’t where we expected to be," senior guard Haley Steed said. "We all started to sweat a little bit, get a little nervous in there. … I’m pleasantly surprised with a 10 seed and really excited."
It was a big moment for a BYU (26-6) program that secured its first NCAA berth since 2007 by winning the West Coast Conference Tournament, but still had to wait to figure out its first-round destination. BYU’s contest with DePaul (22-10) was the second-to-last game announced on the ESPN Selection Show.
Most of the team had been expecting an 11 or 12 seed, but the surprise of a 10 seed was an added bonus of making the field.
Being on the selection show itself might’ve been the real treat.
"I had butterflies the whole time," freshman guard Lexi Eaton said. "I’ve always just watched it on TV. To be a part of it is crazy."
The Cougars will compete in the Des Moines region with No. 1 seed Baylor and No. 2 seed Tennessee — two powerhouses in women’s basketball. With a win, BYU could face the Volunteers in the second round. The Blue Demons will also be enjoying what is essentially a home game: Although the women’s team competes in a different facility, the All-State Arena is the men’s home court.But the focus was on the Blue Demons, the Cougars’ Big East opponent in Saturday’s contest. DePaul reached the Sweet Sixteen last season and has appeared in 10 straight NCAA Tournaments.
BYU coach Jeff Judkins felt his team had been dealt a favorable matchup, however.
"I’ve watched them a lot. I have a lot of respect for the coach," Judkins said. "DePaul’s not a real quick, athletic team. They shoot the ball well; they execute well. And I think one thing our team does is if we can prepare them, they can take teams out of their offense."
DePaul is led by junior guard Anna Martin, who led the Big East with 19.1 points per game this season. As a team, the Blue Demons are one of the most dangerous 3-point-shooting teams in the nation, making 7.8 long-range shots per game.
The Cougars are coming off a strong performance in the WCC Tournament but also have had a weeklong layover. Balance is the key for BYU, which boasts five scorers who average at least nine points per game.
Steed is among the national leaders in assists, and senior forward Kristen Riley has come on strong lately, earning the last two WCC player of the month awards. Eaton has been a boost in her first year on the team and is the second-leading scorer on the roster.
No comments:
Post a Comment