OGDEN -- For only the ninth time in 45 games, BYU (4-6) lost to Weber State (5-3), 65-54, on field-trip day for local schools in Ogden Wednesday.
Freshman Mindy Nielson led the Cougars with a career and season-high 15 points. Freshman Keilani Moeaki also scored in double figures for the second time in her young career with 11 points, and junior Cassie King followed suit with her season-high of 10 points. It was the third game all season in which three Cougars scored in double figures.
"I give a lot of credit to Weber State," BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. "They played well and executed offensively.... We had our chances, but there were a couple of times when we didn't make defensive stops when we needed to."
The Wildcats jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first minute of the game, but BYU scored the next seven points to take the lead, highlighted by junior Cassie King's first three-point make of the season. The lead changed three times in the following four minutes as King tied her season high of seven points in that time with three straight buckets.
The lead teeter-tottered back and forth, but Weber State was able to earn their second five-point lead of the game with just over four minutes left in the first period. Both teams exchanged buckets until freshman Mindy Nielson drained jumper in the corner from behind the arc to pull within two. The Wildcats hit one more shot before the half to take a four-point, 25-21, lead into the locker room at the break.
The second half began with two straight Weber State buckets. BYU knocked down the next three, however, to take back the lead. The advantage was short lived as the Wildcats hit two free throws and a baby hook in the lane on their next two possessions to tip the scales back in their favor.
Weber State's lead proved to be short lived as well. BYU took their biggest lead of the game at 36-31 with 13 minutes left in the contest on a jump shot from down town from senior Mallary Gillespie-Carling at the top of the arc.
That lead would not last either, as the Cougars scored only three points in the next six minutes, and the Wildcats took a 44-39 lead. After pulling out to a 57-46 lead with just over four minutes to go, BYU closed the gap to 54-57 with just over one minute left in the game.
With time running out, BYU had to result to forcing Weber State to the charity stripe where the Wildcats sealed their own fate and did not miss a free throw shot in the last six minutes.
"We had moments where we looked great and moments where we didn't," Judkins finished. "It comes down to the will to win. Loosing is easy. Winning is hard."
BYU's next contest will be at home in the Marriott Center against UCLA on Saturday at 4 p.m. The team's last non-conference game of the regular season will be at Utah State on Dec. 29.
Official Basketball Box ScoreBrigham Young Univer vs Weber State
12/12/07 12:00 p.m. at Dee Events Center -- Ogden, Utah
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VISITORS: Brigham Young Univer 4-6
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
32 SLADE, Shawnee...... f 3-8 1-1 0-1 1 1 2 3 7 3 2 0 1 34
45 MOEAKI, Keilani..... f 4-6 0-0 3-3 0 1 1 1 11 0 5 2 0 27
52 VARLEY, Lauren...... c 1-4 0-0 0-0 1 7 8 0 2 1 2 0 0 32
03 FOREMAN, Jazmine.... g 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 3 0 2 2 0 1 17
30 CARLING, Mallary.... g 3-9 3-4 0-0 0 6 6 5 9 2 5 1 1 36
05 CHEESMAN, Ashley.... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4
13 JUDKINS, Jaime...... 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 3 1 0 1 2
14 RED, Sarah.......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0+
22 NIELSON, Mindy...... 6-11 3-5 0-1 0 4 4 2 15 1 3 0 1 31
23 WOOD, Coriann....... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 5
54 KING, Cassie........ 4-6 1-1 1-1 3 1 4 3 10 2 0 0 0 12
TEAM................ 1 1
Totals.............. 21-48 8-12 4-6 6 23 29 19 54 15 20 3 5 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 9-24 37.5% 2nd Half: 12-24 50.0% Game: 43.8% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-5 40.0% 2nd Half: 6-7 85.7% Game: 66.7% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 1-1 100 % 2nd Half: 3-5 60.0% Game: 66.7% 0
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HOME TEAM: Weber State 5-3
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
05 Tuomi, Sara......... f 1-11 0-4 12-12 2 5 7 3 14 2 1 0 3 36
45 Thatcher, Emily..... f 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 4 0 0 1 0 0 12
11 Taylor, Tashina..... c 1-3 0-0 0-0 0 4 4 2 2 0 3 0 0 25
23 Hunter, Ahkiah...... g 10-17 2-4 3-5 2 3 5 2 25 3 2 0 3 37
24 Schnibbe, Tonya..... g 1-7 0-0 0-0 0 3 3 0 2 6 3 0 1 29
20 Thorderson, Ali..... 5-7 3-5 3-3 0 1 1 0 16 1 0 0 0 18
21 Smith, Jessica...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
34 Weight, Karlee...... 3-3 0-0 0-0 3 5 8 2 6 0 2 1 0 26
54 Rayback, Janie...... 0-4 0-0 0-0 2 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 13
TEAM................ 1 1 2
Totals.............. 21-53 5-13 18-20 10 23 33 13 65 13 12 1 7 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-25 40.0% 2nd Half: 11-28 39.3% Game: 39.6% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-7 42.9% 2nd Half: 2-6 33.3% Game: 38.5% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 2-3 66.7% 2nd Half: 16-17 94.1% Game: 90.0% 1
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Officials: John Weeks, Bob Scofield, Penny Davis
Technical fouls: Brigham Young Univer-None. Weber State-None.
Attendance: 1921
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Brigham Young Univer.......... 21 33 - 54
Weber State................... 25 40 - 65
Points in the paint-BY 20,WSU 22. Points off turnovers-BY 7,WSU 20.
2nd chance points-BY 5,WSU 4. Fast break points-BY 0,WSU 0.
Bench points-BY 25,WSU 22. Score tied-5 times. Lead changed-8 times.
Last FG-BY 2nd-01:24, WSU 2nd-04:12.
Largest lead-BY by 5 2nd-13:11, WSU by 11 2nd-04:12.
With a 4-5 record, the BYU women's basketball team continues its nonconference schedule with a road game at Weber State (4-3) on Wed., Dec. 12.
Then they host Pac-10 powerhouse UCLA (4-4) on Sat., Dec. 15 p.m. in a 4 p.m. tip.
Game#10 12/12/07: BYU @ Weber St. Time: 12 p.m. MT Arena: Dee Events Ctr.
Game#11 12/15/07: BYU vs. UCLA Time: 4:00 p.m. MT Arena: Marriott Ctr.
Following the Cougars --
Television: Saturday's game between the Cougars and Bruins will air live on the Mtn. Mike Evans and Andrea Lloyd will call the action
Radio: Both of the games this week will air live on KOVO 960 AM.
Internet: They will also be heard live on the internet at
http://www.byuradio.org/streaming Jay Monsen will call the action for both games.
Live stats: No live stats will be available for the Weber State game. All of the games can be accessed with the live stats link by logging on
to: www.byucougars.com/basketball_w/
Cougar All-Acccess: Those who have signed up for Cougar All-Access can also view the games on their computers
BYU Probable Starters
No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr. PPG RPG
03 Jazmine Foreman G 5-5 Fr 2.9 1.0
30 Mallary G. Carling G 5-10 Sr 13.6 3.0
32 Shawnee Slade F 5-11 Jr 7.6 6.7
45 Keilani Moeaki F 6-2 Fr 5.3 4.6
52 Lauren R. Varley C 6-3 Sr 9.3 8.4
Reserve Players
No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr. PPG RPG
22 Mindy Nielson G 5-10 Fr 5.1 2.3
54 Cassie King F 6-3 Jr 4.3 2.8
23 Coriann Wood F 6-1 Fr 4.1 2.7
14 Sarah Red G/F 5-11 Jr (rs) 2.3 0.0
05 Ashley Cheesman F 6-0 Sr 1.8 2.0
13 Jaime Judkins G 5-6 So 1.3 0.6
0 Lauren Nichols F 6-0 Fr (rs) 0.6 0.2
55 Megan Marks F 6-2 Fr 0.3 1.3
Team Stats -- 2007-08
-- Shooting from the field: (.384, 187-487)
-- Shooting from the free-throw line: (.604, 84-139)
-- Shooting from three-point line: (.271, 42-155)
-- Average points per game: 55.6
byu quick hits
The team
-- Two starters are among the six letterwinners returning for the 2007-08 season.The team also returns two redshirts in addition to six very talented newcomers
-- The seniors are MWC Second Team honoree guard Mallary Gillespie-Carling and MWC Honorable Mention Lauren Riley-Varley. Both were also named to the 2007 MWC All-Tournament Team.
-- Among the letterwinners are junior forward/guard combo Shawnee Slade, senior forward Ashley Cheesman and junior center Cassie King. The trio return with the most playing experience and an understanding of coach Judkins' game plan. Guard Jamie Judkins who also comes in with significant playing time experience.
-- Two redshirts who were on the team last year, freshman forward Lauren Nichols and sophomore guard Sarah Red, a transfer from the University of Utah, will also provide solid experience on the team as newcomers.
-- Six new incoming freshmen will take to the court in 2007-08. They are:
Stephanie Buhler: 6-0, F, Oregon City, OR/Oregon City HS
Jazmine Foreman: 5-5, G, Vancouver, WA/Hudson's Bay HS
Megan Marks: 6-2, F, South Jordan, UT/Bingham HS
Keilani Moeaki: 6-2, F, Warrenville, IL/Wheaton Warrenville South HS
Mindy Nielson: 5-10, G, Centennial, CO/ Regis Jesuit HS
Coriann Wood: 6-1, F, Basin City, WA/Connell HS
2007-08 Season Highlights and Notables
TEAM
-- The captains on the 2007-08 season are seniors Mallary Gillespie-Carling and Lauren Riley-Varley
-- When playing on the road this season, BYU has a 1-3 record.
-- The 55 rebounds by the Cougars vs Fresno State on 11/17/07 are a season high and rank tied
for third place in the program's history.
-- The win over Fresno State improved BYU's all-time record in home openers to 24-11 and
under coach Judkins is now 6-1 in home openers.
-- The 78 points and the 55 rebounds recorded in the win over Fresno State are the most in both categories to date.
-- In the win over Utah Valley, the team scored 72 points which is second best to date
and the 20-point margin of victory is the most this season.
-- The 20 assists in the win over Utah Valley on 12/08/07 were the most to date.
-- In Saturday's Dec. 8th win over the Wolverines, the 17 steals are a new season best.
-- BYU scored 35 points in the first half vs. Utah Valley, the second most scored in
a first half and the fourth most in any half to date.
-- Starting lineups: Record
Foreman, Carling, Slade, Cheesman, Varley: 2-2
Foreman, Carling, Slade, King, Varley: 1-1
Judkins, Carling, Slade, Wood, Varley: 0-1
Foreman, Carling, Slade, Moeaki, Varley: 1-1
PLAYER
-- Center Lauren Riley-Varley picked up back-to-back double doubles in the first two games of this season. She tallied 14 points and
11 rebounds against UCSB and 16 points and 13 boards at Arkansas State. She led all players in the rebound category in those contests.
-- Varley's 16 points at Ark. State were season highs to date
-- Varley tops the list in rebounds for the team to date grabbing an average of 8.5 boards per contest.
-- Varley scored 12 points in the two-point 52-54 loss to New Mexico State on 12/05/07 marking her third double figure game
this season and her 22nd career double digit contest.
-- Mallary Gillespie-Carling has scored in double figures in 54 games during her career, seven so far this season
and the last three straight.
-- Carling is the team's assist leader so far this year dishing out a total of 38.
-- Freshman Mindy Nielson tallied a career-high 11 points vs. Fresno State on 11/17/07.
-- Nielson picked up season and career highs in blocks (5), steals
( 5), rebounds (6) vs. Utah Valley on 12/08/07.
-- Shawnee Slade led the team in scoring with 15 points vs. Utah Valley on 12/08/07 marking her 13th career double digit game
and her third this season. At Connecticut on 11/29/07, she was also the team's leading scorer with 10 points, marking her 12th career double figure contest.
-- Slade grabbed a new season and career high 11 rebounds vs. New Mexico State on 12/05/07. The 11 boards were team and game highs as well.
-- Freshman Keilani Moeaki tallied a career- and game-high 19 points in the game vs. Hartford
-- Freshman Coriann Wood picked up season and career highs in points and rebounds in the game at UConn on 11/29/07
with eight points and five rebounds. She had her first collegiate start at Sacred Heart on 12/01/07.
-- Freshman Jazmine Foreman dished out a new season and career high in assists with eight vs. Utah Valley on 12/08/07.
About This Week's Opponents
WEBER STATE UNIV. - Ogden, Utah at 12 p.m. (12/12/07)
Weber State has compiled a 4-3 record to date with a 3-0 record at home including back-to-back wins over Eastern Michigan and CSU.
The Wildcats returns two starters and nine letterwinners from a team that finished with a 17-14 record last season and a second
place finish in the Big Sky Conference. WSU has two players scoring in double digits led by senior forward Sara Tuomi's 16.4 points and a
game high 6.4 boards per game. Senior guard Ahkiah Hunter follows with 10.4 points and grabs 4.0 boards per contest.
Tonya Schnibbe tops the list in assists with 36 to date. Carla Taylor is in her 20th year as the Wildcats head coach where
she has compiled a 274-268 record to date.
Weber State Probable Starters
Pos. # Name Ht Yr PPG RPG
F 05 Sara Tuomi 6-0 Sr 16.4 6.4
F 45 Emily Thatcher 6-1 Fr 2.7 4.7
C 11 Tashina Taylor 6-2 Sr 7.6 5.7
G 23 Ahkiah Hunter 5-6 Sr 10.4 4.0
G 24 Tonya Schnibbe 5-6 So 7.7 3.4
Stat Comparisons BYU WSt.
Field Goals: .384 .390
Free Throws: .604 .757
Three-Pointers: .271 .356
Points Per Game: 55.6 59.0
Rebounds Per Game: 39.7 34.4
Series History
Record: 36-8 favoring BYU.
Last Meeting: Dec 14, 2006 in Provo where the Cougars got the 79-42 victory. When playing at the Dee Events Center,
BYU has a 14-6 record with its most recent win, a 63-47 decision on Dec. 28, 2005.
UCLA - Provo, Utah at 4 p.m. (12/15/07)
The Bruins of UCLA come to Provo with a 4-4 record picking up wins over CS Northridge, Rice, Cal Poly and Southern.
On the road the team is 1-2 to date. UCLA returns three starters and seven letterwinners. Four players are picking up double
figure games led by senior forward Lindsey Pluimer with her 14.3 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds per game. She's
followed by freshman Nina Earl who's putting up 10.4 points and grabbing 2.9 boards. Regina Rodgers and Doreana Campbell
score 10.0 points each with 5.5 boards from Rodgers and 4.8 from Campbell. Head Coach Kathy Olivier begins her 15th season
at the helm of the UCLA program where she has a 220-197 record to date.
UCLA Probable Starters
Pos. # Name Ht Yr PPG RPG
F 14 Lindsey Pluimer 6-4 Sr 14.3 7.8
F 21 Doreena Campbell 5-10 Fr 10.0 4.8
C 34 Regina Rogers 6-3 Fr 10.0 5.5
G 03 Darxia Morris 5-8 Fr 8.5 2.1
G 02 Tierra Henderson 5-10 Jr 8.3 4.3
Stat Comparisons BYU UCLA
Field Goals: .384 .423
Free Throws: .604 .629
Three-Pointers: .271 .378
Points Per Game: 55.6 77.6
Rebounds Per Game: 39.7 47.4
Series History
Record: 3-8 favoring UCLA.
Last Meeting: The Cougars and Bruins played at Pauley Pavilion on Nov. 22, 2005 where BYU picked up the 71-67 win.
UCLA has not played in the Marriott Center since a Nov. 25, 2000 game where they lost to the Cougars 53-68. The Bruins
have a 2-1 record in Provo with their last win a 77-69 victory on Dec. 17, 1987.
Media Availability
Team Practice Times - at home
-The team practices are held at the Marriott Center MWF from 11:30 a.m., to 1:30 p.m. On Tuesday's, practice is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m., and on Thursday's from 11:30 to 2 p.m.
- Coach Judkins and players are available for interviews prior to or after their practices. All interviews are scheduled in advance. Norma Collett is the Basketball Communications Director for the team and can be contacted by phone or email. Contact at -- office: 801-422-4908, cell: 801-372-0989 and email: norma_collett@byu.edu
Looking Ahead
BYU has a short Christmas break before finishing its nonconference season at Utah State on Dec. 29. Tip off is set for 5 p.m.
January brings the MWC regular season and defending MWC Regular Season Champs., BYU is set to defend its league title. The Cougars open MWC play with a 2 p.m., contest at CSU on Jan. 12, then return home to host UNLV Jan. 16 and Utah Jan. 19. Start times for the home games are 4 and 7 p.m., respectively.