Pregame
First Half
Saint Mary’s fell 60-39 to BYU on Feb. 13 in the Gaels lone visit to Provo this season. Saint Mary’s was fresh off a 70-60 victory against No. 11 Gonzaga in a game where the Gaels went 14 for 21 from behind the three-point line — a rhythm they couldn’t find against the Cougars.
BYU scored early and often, starting the game on a 17-0 run through the first 5:32 of the game. All five starters contributed at least one basket during the 17-0 run, and it wasn’t until 4:17 remained in the first quarter that Saint Mary’s was able to tally a basket of its own.
BYU would eventually take a 36-14 lead into the locker rooms at halftime. Brenna Chase Drollinger led all scorers with 10 first-half points, while Paisley Johnson trailed close behind with eight points and Maria Albeiro tallied seven of her own.
Second Half
BYU would lead by as many as 25 points in the second half, with Shalae Salmon giving BYU a 43-18 lead with 5:39 remaining in the third quarter. Chase Drollinger would continue to lead BYU in scoring, recording five points in the third frame en route to 47% shooting on the night.
BYU never let Saint Mary’s any closer than 17 points in the second half, finishing with a 60-39 victory. With five total blocks on the night, Sara Hamson became the third player in program history to reach 300 career blocks. Hamson’s sister, Jennifer Hamson, and her mother, Tresa Spaulding Hamson, are also part of the 300-or-more block club, with Jennifer recording 340 blocks as a Cougar and Tresa tallying 494.
Chase Drollinger finished with a game-high 18 points and eight rebounds, while Jasmine Moody was the only other Cougar to join Chase Drollinger in double-digit scoring, recording 10 points of her own. BYU now sits with a 14-9 record among all competitions and 9-4 in conference play.
