Freshmen Lift Cougars Over TCU

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PROVO -- In a battle to keep the top spot in the Mountain West Conference, the BYU women’s basketball team defeated TCU 70-60 at the Marriott Center on Saturday.

"I'm really happy for the team," said BYU head coach Jeff Judkins. "They've worked so hard to get to this point. We knew it was a big game and I'm not one to hide it. We talked about it all week and the girls were definitely able to step up to the challenge."

Freshmen Kim Paker and Jennifer Hamson led the way for the Cougars. Parker led with 14 points and two rebounds while Hamson finished with a near double-double of nine points and 10 rebounds.

"One thing that is so unique, and what makes our team so awesome, is that every night someone different will come out with the high points," Parker said. "We are definitely a team unit. If teams focus on one player, someone else will step up."

Senior Mindy Bonham contributed all over the court in the win, finishing with eight points, 11 assists and five rebounds. Bonham now has 438 career assists and is just 21 shy of fourth place in BYU history.

BYU went down early thanks to a quick TCU three and would take their first lead of the game at 17:54 after a Hamson lay up and jumper from Haley Hall. From there, the Cougars would keep the lead until half.

Momentum shifted to BYU after Hall nailed a three at the 15:10 mark to give the Cougars a 9-3 lead. The Cougars followed Hall’s trey with stifling defense, causing a TCU shot clock violation.

Quick scoring and tough defense helped the Cougars build a double-digit lead as halftime approached. A 15-6 BYU run near the end of the half pushed the lead to 15, 38-23, in BYU's favor as the teams left the hardwood at the break.

Senior Jazmine Foreman came out quick in the second half by nailing a three, getting a steal and finishing with a lay up. Foreman’s shots helped start a 9-2 BYU run to open the half.

A technical foul assessed to TCU with 16:13 remaining helped the Cougars maintain momentum as Coriann Fraughton hit both foul shots to extend the lead to 22 at 47-25.

The Horned Frogs worked to come back in the game, narrowing the lead to seven (49-42) with 10:47 remaining.

TCU narrowed the gap to four points, 58-54, with under three minutes remaining but the Cougar defense came through with 2:28 remaining by forcing the third TCU shot clock violation of the game and Parker sealed the victory with a three at the other end.

"These kids sure can fight," Judkins said. "They have a lot of heart and really wanted this game tonight."

The Cougars will continue the MWC season on Wednesday as they travel to Fort Collins, Colorado, to take on Colorado State at 7:00 pm MT.

Game Notes

Player Notes

-Mindy Bonham’s seven assists at halftime tie her season-high for most assists recorded in a first half.

-Bonham recorded 11 assists against the Horned Frogs to make her career total at 438, just 21 shy of fourth place in BYU women’s basketball history. Her 438 total puts her past assistant coach Stacy Jensen's previous record of 432 which is now 6th all-time.

-Coriann Fraughton finished with 10 points for her 18th double-figure performance this season and seventh straight.

-Jazmine Foreman finished with 10 points for her 7th double-figure performance this season.

-Kim Parker’s seven points at halftime are a new season-high for her total points recorded in a first half. Parker finished with 14 points, just one shy of her career-high, as the most in conference action and her fourth season double-figure game.

-Foreman and Parker both made two 3-pointers for a new season-high.

-Haley Hall finished with 12 points for her 8th double-figure performance this season.

Team notes

-Today’s 1,232 attendance is the second most this season, and in conference action

-The Cougars are now 18-1 when they lead at the half, 16-4 when they make more than five 3-pointers, 15-2 when they outrebound their opponent, 16-1 when they record under 16 turnovers and 11-1 when they play at home.

-This is the fifth time on the year and fourth in league action where four players have scored in double digits. When four players tally double figures, BYU has a perfect 5-0 record.

-The Cougars have compiled a 10-0 record on the season when they score 70 or more points.

-After today’s game, BYU’s bench has outscored their opponents (365-259) all season