PROVO -- After losing its first half lead, the BYU women’s basketball team dropped a close 65-62 contest to Kansas State Friday afternoon in the Marriott Center. With the loss, the Cougars are now 3-2 on the season.

“I thought we did some nice things and hopefully we can just keep getting better,” said BYU head coach Jeff Judkins. “It’s sad to lose, but we’ll keep working at it and we’ll get it.”

Haley Hall scored the first points of the game on a deep three-pointer less than 10-seconds into the game. Jazmine Foreman added a trey of her own a couple minutes later to give the Cougars an 8-2 lead. Hall finished with 10 points and four rebounds. Foreman finished with 11 points and five rebounds, both a season-high.

Hall would go on to score four more points before KSU managed to record back-to-back baskets. With 8:19 to play in the first half, Keilani Moeaki’s put-back gave BYU an eight-point advantage.

The Cougars were held scoreless for five minutes, allowing the Wildcats a chance to tie the score 24-24. Freshman Kim Parker’s three-point basket as the shot clock expired gave BYU back the lead, but KSU evened it up again with a make from behind-the-arc on the ensuing possession.

The Wildcats took advantage of the momentum swing, converting a three-point play with six seconds remaining in the first half to take a 30-27 lead into the locker room. It marks the first time a BYU opponent has led at the halftime break so far this season.

BYU went on an 11-2 run to start the second half, with baskets by five different members of the Cougars squad. Sophomore Kristen Riley a jumper to give BYU a 40-32 advantage, forcing Kansas State to call a timeout. The Wildcats tied it up 40-40 and the teams continued to trade baskets and free throws back-and-forth for the next ten minutes.

Neither team was able to create more than a two-point separation until KSU pulled away to 57-51 with 5:49 to play in the game. Redshirt freshman Alexis Kaufusi was 3-of-4 from the free throw line to narrow the Wildcats’ lead to six points.

Mindy Nielson scored five consecutive points for BYU with a jumper and three-point make with just under three minutes on the game clock. Ahead by one, KSU’s Ashley Sweat converted a three-point play, bringing the score to 63-59. Nielson finished with 13 points and eight rebounds to lead the Cougars. Her eight rebounds tied her career-high and the 13 points marked the 23rd time she's scored in double-figures.

Foreman made her third trey of the game to help BYU pull within one point before KSU was called for a charging foul with less than a minute to play. Despite the lucky turnover, the Cougars were unable to make a basket.

“Being down by eight points late in the second half, we really fought back. I was proud of that,” Judkins said. “I thought we did a great job executing and doing what we needed to do to get the basket. We just didn’t make the last one when it counted.”

Up next the Cougars travel to Hawaii to play in the Hukilau Invitational on Dec. 4-5. BYU is scheduled to play San Francisco and Hawaii.

Official Basketball Box Score
Kansas State vs BYU Cougars
11/27/09 3:35 pm at Marriott Center, Provo, Utah
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VISITORS: Kansas State 2-3
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
04 Sweat, Ashley....... *  6-12   3-5    3-3    0  2  2   2  18  2  3  0  1  40-
12 Karr, Taelor........ *  5-8    3-4    4-5    0  6  6   5  17  4  4  0  3  29
22 White, Mariah....... *  1-2    0-0    0-0    1  0  1   1   2  2  1  0  0  13
34 Brown, Branshea..... *  0-2    0-0    0-0    0  2  2   0   0  0  3  2  1  21
41 Kincaid, Kari....... *  3-10   1-5    0-0    0  2  2   1   7  1  0  0  0  35
02 Chambers, Brittany..    6-9    2-2    2-2    1  1  2   2  16  0  1  0  0  26
23 Spani, Shalin.......    1-4    1-3    0-0    0  0  0   0   3  0  1  0  0  19
32 Voronenko, Alina....    0-0    0-0    0-2    1  0  1   0   0  0  0  0  0   3
33 Childs, Jalana......    1-2    0-0    0-0    1  0  1   5   2  0  2  0  0  14
   TEAM................                         3  6  9
   Totals..............   23-49  10-19   9-12   7 19 26  16  65  9 15  2  5 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-24 45.8%   2nd Half: 12-25 48.0%   Game: 46.9%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  4-8  50.0%   2nd Half:  6-11 54.5%   Game: 52.6%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  4-5  80.0%   2nd Half:  5-7  71.4%   Game: 75.0%    2
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HOME TEAM: BYU Cougars 3-2
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
22 NIELSON, Mindy...... f  6-10   1-2    0-0    3  5  8   1  13  2  3  0  2  40
35 RILEY, Kristen...... f  3-4    0-1    1-3    1  1  2   2   7  3  2  0  2  23
45 MOEAKI, Keilani..... c  3-4    0-2    0-0    1  1  2   3   6  1  4  0  0  21
03 FOREMAN, Jazmine.... g  3-7    3-4    2-2    2  4  6   3  11  4  4  0  0  28
33 HALL, Haley......... g  4-13   2-8    0-0    2  2  4   3  10  4  0  0  2  36
04 PARKER, Kim.........    1-1    1-1    0-0    0  1  1   1   3  0  0  0  0  13
10 KAUFUSI, Alexis.....    2-6    0-0    3-4    3  5  8   1   7  0  2  1  0  21
23 WOOD, Coriann.......    1-8    0-2    1-2    2  3  5   4   3  1  3  2  1  14
32 PETERSON, Dani......    1-1    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   2  0  0  0  0   4
   TEAM................                         5  1  6
   Totals..............   24-54   7-20   7-11  19 23 42  18  62 15 18  3  7 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-26 42.3%   2nd Half: 13-28 46.4%   Game: 44.4%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  3-8  37.5%   2nd Half:  4-12 33.3%   Game: 35.0%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  0-0   0.0%   2nd Half:  7-11 63.6%   Game: 63.6%    2
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Officials: CLARKE STEVENS, RANDY CAMPBELL, LAURA RAHE
Technical fouls: Kansas State-None. BYU Cougars-None.
Attendance: 937
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Kansas State..................   30   35  -   65
BYU Cougars...................   25   37  -   62
OFFICIAL FINAL

With a 2-1 record the BYU women’s basketball team rounds out a three-game road trip in Cedar City where they will go up against instate rival Southern Utah (0-3), on Tues. Nov. 24. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. The day after Thanksgiving they host Kansas State (1-2) at 3:30 p.m.

BYU Probable Starters

No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr. PPG RPG

03 Jazmine Foreman G 5-5 Jr 4.0 2.3

22 Mindy Nielson G 5-10 Jr 11.7 3.3

33 Haley Hall G 5-4 Jr 8.7 2.3

45 Keilani Moeaki F 6-2 Jr 9.0 2.0

35 Kristen Riley C 6-3 So 8.7 5.0

2009-10 Cougar Stats Summary

-- Shooting from field: (.449, 75-167)

-- Shooting from free-throw line: (.547, 41-75)

-- Shooting from three-point line: (.435, 27-62)

-- Average points per game: 72.7

-- Average rebounds per game: 42.7

-- Average assists per game: 15.0

-- Average steals per game: 10.3

-- Average blocks per game: 2.3

-- Average turnovers per game: 21.0

Team Highlights (2009-10)

-- Head Coach Jeff Judkins improved to 8-1 in home openers with the 73-51 victory over Utah Valley University on Nov. 13.

-- In the win over UVU, the Cougars were up by 33 points halfway through the second half of the contest.

-- As in last year’s season, the depth of the BYU team showed in the win over the Wolverines, as 30 of the team’s points were scored by the Cougar bench.

-- The team was able to score a total of 28 points in the paint vs. UVU.

-- Despite losing by one 66-67 to the University of Washington on 11/18/09, the BYU bench outscored the Huskies bench by eight, 24-16.

-- The Cougars have had four players score in double figures in all three games played to date

-- Even though the team suffered a disappointing one point loss to the Washington Huskies on 11/18/09,they shot at least 50 percent or better in all categories (50.0) from the field, (55.6) from three-point range, and (53.8) from the free throw line

-- The 50 rebounds BYU had in the win at Montana State on 11/20/09 tie for 10th place in the team’s all-time records for boards per game

-- For the second straight time the team has shot above .500 from three point range, at Montana State on 11/20/09 they shot (57.1) percent

This Week’s Cougar Opponents

Southern Utah University - Tues. Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. (Cedar City, UT) - Centrum Arena

After three games played so far this season, the Thunderbirds of Southern Utah have compiled a 0-3 record, playing once at home and twice on the road. SUU returns four starters and seven letterwinners from last year’s team that went 9-20. The team is under the helm of J.R. Payne who’s in her first season with the Thunderbirds. On this year’s roster two players are scoring in double figures in the early season with 10.3 points each from Chanel Thorley and Challis Pascucci. The latter also tops the leader board in the rebound category grabbing 10.3 per game. In assists it’s sophomore guard Cassie Burgess who has dished out a team high 10 assists to date.

SUU Probable Starters

No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr. PPG RPG

35 Stephanie Sampson G 5-9 Jr 6.0 3.0

23 Cassie Burgess G 5-7 So 5.0 2.7

14 Dani Hosking G 5-8 So 4.7 2.0

24 Challis Pascucci F 6-2 Jr 10.3 10.3

44 Chanel Thorley C 6-3 Fr 10.3 7.7

Stat Comparison

Category BYU SUU

Points: 72.7 46.0

FG: .449 .280

3FG: .547 .730

Reb: 42.7 39.0

Kansas State University - Fri. Nov. 27 at 3:30 p.m. (Provo, UT) - Marriott Center

The Kansas State Wildcats are making their first ever appearance in the Marriott Center. To date they’ve compiled a 1-2 record with their first win over Washington State on Nov. 20. They play at Creighton on Mon. Nov. 23 before making the trip to Provo. Two players are scoring in double figures for the Wildcats led by the 21.7 points from junior forward Ashley Sweat who also leads the way in rebounds grabbing an average of 9.3 per game. She’s followed by Kari Kincaid who scores 13.3 points a game. Head coach Deb Patterson is in her 14th season at the helm of the women’s basketball program where she’s compiled a 265-146 record heading into the 2009-10 campaign.

Kansas State Probable Starters

No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr. PPG RPG

12 Taelor Karr G 5-8 Fr 5.3 2.3

23 Shalin Spani G 6-0 Jr 9.0 2.7

41 Kari Kincaid G 5-10 Sr 13.3 4.0

04 Ashley Sweat F 6-2 Sr 21.7 9.3

33 Jalana Childs F 6-2 So 8.7 5.3

Stat Comparison

Category BYU KST

Points: 72.7 84.5

FG: .449 .476

3FG: .435 .459

FT: .547 .810

Reb: 42.7 38.5

Team Travel

Nov. 23 Hotel in Cedar City: Springhill Suites, 1477 South Old Hwy 91, 435-586-1685, 435-586-1686, fax.

What’s Next

BYU start the month of December on the road playing in the Hukilau Tournament in Laie, HI. On Dec. 4 the Cougars take on the University of San Francisco and then battle the University of Hawaii on Dec. 5. Both games tip off at 1 p.m. (Hawaii time)