PROVO, UTAH –
Winning in the Big 12 is rarely easy, and pulling off back-to-back upsets against ranked opponents proved too tall a task for BYU on Saturday night.
BYU women’s basketball saw its upset hopes fade as No. 22 West Virginia pulled away for a 91–77 win at the Marriott Center.
Turnovers plagued the Cougars, as the Mountaineers forced 25, the third-most BYU has committed this season and the second-highest total in conference play.
Sydney Woodley led West Virginia with a career-high 23 points, shooting 6 of 7 from the field and 11 of 12 from the free-throw line. The 5-foot-8 senior guard from Menifee, California, drew six fouls and provided a spark off the bench.
“Obviously, she did a great job,” West Virginia coach Mark Kellogg said. “It was her career high tonight, so you saw her at her best. She’s been that for us. She can score when she wants to, and if we get her in space, she can be dynamic because she’s a phenomenal athlete.”
Gia Cooke added 21 points and finished plus-7 on the floor, providing steady insurance for the Mountaineers throughout the night.
For BYU, Delaney Gibb led all scorers with 28 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range, to go along with two rebounds and two assists. Outside of Gibb, the offense was limited. Olivia Hamlin finished with 13 points, scoring primarily on tough finishes in the paint.
BYU shot 70% from beyond the arc in the first half, but West Virginia’s defensive pressure held the Cougars to 28% shooting from 3-point range over the final two quarters.
Rebounding, typically a BYU strength, also swung in West Virginia’s favor. The Mountaineers outrebounded the Cougars 32–29 and limited BYU to just seven offensive rebounds.
“It’s the best offensive rebounding team in our league,” Kellogg said. “We had a goal to try to keep them under nine, which is below their average. I didn’t know if that was feasible, but our kids did a good job.”
West Virginia entered the game allowing 59.9 points per contest, but finished with a season-high 91 points.
BYU now heads back on the road to face its third Top-25 opponent in four games, traveling to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to take on No. 24 Oklahoma State. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT, with the game streaming on ESPN+.
The matchup will also mark a reunion, as former BYU guard Amari Whiting faces her former team for the first time.
