Anonymous | Posted: 16 Dec 2006 | Updated: 8 Nov 2020

Cougars Take the Lead over UVSC and Never Let Go.

Orem, Utah (Dec. 16, 2006) -- When neighbors meet for a game they tend to play harder than they would against total strangers. BYU knew it was in for a battle against their Utah Valley counterpart UVSC. The Cougars were able to jump to the early lead and hold it for a final 71-57 score. UVSC never let up in the competition, but BYU cut short any run the Wolverines started.

"This is a good win for us," BYU women's head coach Jeff Judkins said. "It's hard to play here. UVSC is a very good team."

Both teams were charged up for this competition. No one needed to tell these teams to play hard. BYU started with the first points of the game on a layup by Dani Wright. BYU took a 9-4 lead after the first five minutes of the game. Melinda Johnsen contributed to the Cougars lead with a three pointer to make it 14-4. UVSC came back though, to close the gap to four, 13-17 with ten minutes left in the first half. The Wolverines would even get to within three but then BYU went back ahead seven with 7:48 on a Jennie Keele jumper. Shawnee Slade hit a pair to improve the lead to eleven, 18-29 at the 5:42 mark. Johnsen stopped a Wolverine charge with an interception and finished with a layup to make it 31-20 BYU with 4:21 left in the first period. UVSC closed the gap a little, but the Cougars played tough defense and kept the Wolverines from getting closer than nine. The half ended with BYU up 35-26.

"Shawnee (Slade) came in and gave us a great boost with her shooting," Judkins said.

At the half Slade lead all scorers with 13 points. Cassie King led all players with eight rebounds. BYU was 3-4 from the free throw line and UVSC was 2-5.

Lauren Riley started the second half with a quick basket to push the lead back to double digits. With just over 18 minutes left in the game. Johnsen threw the ball into a cutting Gillespie and threw the backdoor pass to Riley for the easy layup to make it 40-26. UVSC combo guard/ forward, Julie McMurray put in a three pointer with just under 16:00 minutes left to give the Wolverines a spark 29-40. With 10:51 in the game, Slade comes up with a steal and the Cougars swing the ball around to the other side where an open Gillespie squared up and hit a three pointer to put BYU up 51-36. Riley finished a three-point play with her free throw putting the Cougars up by 20, 56-36 with just under nine minutes to go.

UVSC never gave up in this game. The Wolverines started pressing and forced BYU into a couple of turnovers and closed the gap to 13, 62-49, with 5:09 left in the game. BYU did break the press and Jaime Judkins hit a free throw and moments later Keele went to the line and hit one to make it 66-50 BYU with 2:33 left in the game. Gillespie threw a strike the length of the field to push the lead to 69-53 when Johnsen hit the easy layup with just over a minute left. BYU played keep away the final minute to finish off the win.

"Mallary had a great second half, she has patience to let the game come to her," Judkins said of his leading scorer. "She's grown up a lot as a player."

Riley had a season high 13 points and BYU had four players in double figures, Slade 13, Riley 13, Gillespie 14 and Wright 13 for the third time this season. Wright had her second double double of the season and fourth as a Cougar with her 11 rebounds. King was only one rebound away from having double digit rebounds with her nine.

The Wolverines were very aware of Gillespie's 30-point night in BYU's previous game against Weber State. She was hounded all night by defenders but managed to get to the line for eight free throws and made seven of them. Some of those came in the closing minutes when UVSC was trying to stop the clock.

BYU has one more game before the Christmas break hosting UC Riverside on Wed., Dec. 20 at the Marriott Center. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.

Official Basketball Box Score
BYU vs Utah Valley State
12/16/06 3:05pm at Orem, Utah - McKay Center
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VISITORS: BYU 8-3
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
35 JOHNSEN, Melinda.... f  3-7    1-3    2-4    0  2  2   1   9  7  4  1  4  35
45 WRIGHT, Dani........ f  5-7    0-1    2-6    4  7 11   4  12  0  3  2  0  25
52 RILEY, Lauren....... c  6-9    0-0    1-1    1  4  5   4  13  0  0  1  0  16
15 KEELE, Jennie....... g  2-6    0-2    1-2    1  3  4   2   5  1  5  1  1  29
30 GILLESPIE, Mallary.. g  3-10   1-5    7-8    1  4  5   2  14  5  4  0  1  38
05 CHEESMAN, Ashley....    0-1    0-0    0-0    1  1  2   2   0  0  3  0  0   7
13 JUDKINS, Jaime......    0-1    0-0    1-2    2  0  2   0   1  0  0  0  0   2
22 FADDIS, Brittany....    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   1
32 SLADE, Shawnee......    6-10   1-3    0-0    3  3  6   3  13  4  2  1  3  32
54 KING, Cassie........    2-5    0-3    0-0    2  7  9   2   4  1  0  2  1  15
   TEAM................                                             1
   Totals..............   27-56   3-17  14-23  15 31 46  20  71 18 22  8 10 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 15-35 42.9%   2nd Half: 12-21 57.1%   Game: 48.2%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  2-12 16.7%   2nd Half:  1-5  20.0%   Game: 17.6%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  3-4  75.0%   2nd Half: 11-19 57.9%   Game: 60.9%    4
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HOME TEAM: Utah Valley State 9-2
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
20 Ashley Grimm........ f  0-7    0-0    2-2    1  2  3   4   2  0  2  0  2  23
25 Hollie Beaman....... f  1-3    1-3    1-2    1  3  4   0   4  3  1  0  0  24
10 Robyn Fairbanks..... c  8-19   0-4    3-6    0  2  2   2  19  1  3  1  0  32
01 Sandy Marvin........ g  3-7    0-1    4-4    2  3  5   4  10  2  5  0  3  35
13 Asumi Nakayama...... g  1-6    1-4    2-2    0  2  2   2   5  2  5  0  2  23
03 Julie McMurray......    3-6    1-2    1-2    2  1  3   3   8  0  0  0  0  23
04 Veva Ahlstrom.......    1-1    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   2  0  0  0  0   1
23 Rebekah Peterson....    1-2    1-2    0-0    0  3  3   0   3  1  1  0  1  23
34 Susie Cornejo.......    0-1    0-1    2-2    0  1  1   2   2  1  0  0  1   6
42 Blake Reynolds......    1-3    0-0    0-1    0  0  0   0   2  1  0  0  0  10
   TEAM................                         1  2  3
   Totals..............   19-55   4-17  15-21   7 19 26  18  57 11 17  1  9 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-31 35.5%   2nd Half:  8-24 33.3%   Game: 34.5%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  2-7  28.6%   2nd Half:  2-10 20.0%   Game: 23.5%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  2-5  40.0%   2nd Half: 13-16 81.3%   Game: 71.4%    4
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Officials: Mike Petty, Laura Rahe, Rick Thorne
Technical fouls: BYU-None. Utah Valley State-None.
Attendance: 634
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
BYU...........................   35   36  -   71
Utah Valley State.............   26   31  -   57