Brandon covers sports for the Deseret News, with an emphasis on the University of Utah and the NFL.
BYU outscored Utah 43-16 in the second half, and the Cougars beat their rivals 70-52 in a second-round matchup during the Big 12 women’s basketball tournament at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Thursday afternoon.
In what was essentially an elimination game for NCAA Tournament contention, BYU weathered a big second-quarter run from Utah, only to respond with one of its own in the third.
Here are three takeaways as No. 9 seed BYU turned the tables on No. 8 seed Utah and earned its third victory over the Utes this season.
Delaney Gibb takes control in the second half
The Cougars found themselves down 11 early in the third quarter, after Utah ended the first half on a 17-2 run and quickly pushed its lead to double-digits in the second half’s opening seconds.
The Utes even held a seven-point lead when Brooke Walker scored to make it 43-36 with 3:25 left in the period.
Over those final three minutes of the quarter, though, Delaney Gibb and the Cougars fought back.
BYU frustrated Utah offensively with a full-court press, forcing six turnovers over three minutes, and the Cougars went on a 15-0 run to end the quarter, giving them a 51-43 lead going into the fourth.
Gibb overcame some shooting and turnover issues over the first two and a half quarters, as she had 12 points, five assists and four steals in the second half to lead the Cougars.
Gibb, a first-team All-Big 12 honoree, contributed across the board, finishing with 19 points, eight assists, five rebounds and four steals to counter six turnovers. She also hit four of BYU’s 11 3-pointers.
Laura Rohkohl (12 points) and Brinley Cannon (12) also scored in double figures for the Cougars, who shot 52% in the second half after going a frigid 28.1% in the first.
Wild runs in the second and third quarters define the game
This game was defined by runs.
After BYU took the early lead by hitting six 3-pointers in the first quarter, Utah fought back by ending the second quarter on a 17-2 run and outscoring the Cougars 19-5 in the second.
Lani White had 11 of her game-high 20 points in the period.
The 15-0 run by BYU in the third quarter, though, turned the tide again, and the Cougars finished the game with a 17-5 run after Utah clawed within six early in the fourth.
Utah’s 19 turnovers played a critical role, as BYU scored 18 points off those takeaways.
What it means for the NCAA Tournament chase
ESPN’s Charlie Creme had Utah (19-12, 10-8) as the first team out of the NCAA field in his latest bracketology, updated Thursday before the game.
BYU (22-10, 9-9), meanwhile, was listed first among the next four out designation.
Thursday’s result, though, gives the Cougars another important win, their fifth in a row.
That might not be enough to get BYU into the NCAA Tournament yet — the Cougars don’t have a Quad 1 win this year (0-4) — but the opportunity to face TCU Friday provides another chance to make the right impression.
For the Utes, though, this likely ends their hope at a fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Utah is 2-2 in Quad 1 games, but has been slumping over the past five weeks, since that first BYU matchup in Provo.
The NCAA Tournament field will be unveiled March 15.
