Provo, UT –
BYU (7-2) women’s basketball snapped a two-game losing skid Tuesday afternoon defeating in-state foe Utah State 72-66.
Lauren Gustin finished with 21 points and 21 rebounds to go along with two assists. Gustin notched her 63rd career double-double and sixth-career 20 point, 20 rebound game in her collegiate career.
https://twitter.com/byuwbb/status/1732194453492998330
Freshman guard Amari Whiting added 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting while also recording three assists and two rebounds.
https://twitter.com/byuwbb/status/1732168982445339032
In a game where BYU was favored by 24 and half points, Utah State (3-5) fell slightly short in pulling off the upset. The Aggies were down as many 14 first half points, and at one point cut the Cougars’ lead one.
Cheyenn Stubbs rattled in 21 points for Aggies’ going 8-of-12 from the charity stripe to go along with three rebounds and two assists. Stubbs was the main factor in Utah States’ second half comeback.
Ivory Finley and Skye Miller both added 10 points a piece, and Utah State even outscored BYU’s bench 20-14. All 14 of BYU’s bench points were scored by Emma Calvart, who has been coming off the bench all year
Point guard Nani Falatea didn’t play (DNP). “She has stepped away from the program.” BYU coach Amber Whiting said following the win over Utah State.
The Junior from Salt Lake City, Utah recently got back from a lower extremity injury and had her first of the 2023 season last Saturday against Utah. The upper-classmen point guard got engaged earlier in the year to BYU Football linemen Kingsley Suamatia, and plans on getting married in the future.
Suamatia is a projected draft pick in next year’s 2024 NFL draft. Nothing has been confirmed by Suamatia, whether he’s leaving or returning to BYU for the remainder of his college eligibility. All that being said, speculation could be that Falatea could transfer to a college or university somewhere local to where her future husband gets drafted at, if he declares.
Different start to the 2023-24 season in Amber Whiting’s second year as a head coach. Whiting was 4-5 in her first and has almost doubled her wins from last year’s start as the Cougars’ sit 7-2 after nine games into the season?
BYU will continue their three game home stand as they prepare to host Boise State on Saturday December 9th. Tip-off is scheduled for 2pm MT. The game will be live on ESPN +.
Post Game Sound:
