Senior forward Morgan Bailey and junior guard Lexi Eaton each scored more than 20 points for the first time this season as they powered BYU women’s basketball to a 64-53 win against Weber State on Tuesday night at the Marriott Center.
“First of all this was not one of our better games tonight,” BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. “Part of it was we played three games in six days and Sunday — not being able to practice. We looked pretty sloppy tonight.”
Leading the scoring effort was Bailey’s career-high 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting and Eaton’s seventh-consecutive effort with 10 or more points as she finished with 25 on 8-of-19 from the field. The Cougars (6-3) are 5-1 when Eaton and Bailey score in double-figures. Eaton added nine rebounds, while Bailey and Ashley Garfield each collected eight.
“Weber State did a good job of switching everything,” Judkins said. “We haven’t had anybody do that this year.”
Both teams began the game with a scoring drought, committing a combined 22 turnovers in the first half. A left-side jumper by the Wildcats (4-5) scored the first bucket of the game at the 17:37 mark. BYU then scored the next basket at the 16:23 mark on a finish at the hoop by Bailey, assisted by Eaton.
The Cougars took their first lead on a layup by Bailey before the Wildcats took it back, 14-13. BYU then sparked a 10-0 run over nearly the next four minutes to take a 23-14 lead. Eaton had eight points during the run, including the lone three of the half.
Eaton and Bailey scored BYU’s final 16 points of the half as the team held a 29-20 advantage. At the break, the two had 10 and 14 points, respectively, while Garfield and Eaton each pulled down five boards.
The second half started almost like the first with the first score coming at 17:47 as BYU came out with a 9-2 run to build the largest lead of the game at 38-22.
Weber State then strung together a run of its own, cutting the lead to 39-31 with a 10-1 spurt.
BYU countered with free throws by Eaton and Bailey to regain a 10-point cushion with 12:10 left in the game.
The Wildcats then narrowed a 14-point margin back down to 10 with 7:36 to play, 47-37.
With Eaton’s third 3-pointer of the game, the Cougars went up by 13. Weber State hung around, narrowing the lead to seven with 4:23 left, 53-46.
Bailey then converted down low with the foul to put BYU up 55-46. She then surpassed her previous career-high 26 on her next shot, another and-1 play that she converted on the free throw.
The Cougars maintained the lead to close out the game.
BYU travels to Salt Lake City for an in-state showdown with rival Utah on Saturday at noon. The game will be available on the Pac-12 Network and on BYU Radio.
“I don’t think they’ll (the team) have any trouble getting ready for Utah,” Judkins said. “That’ll be a game they’ll be ready to go.”
McKay Perry is the sports information director for BYU softball and an assistant sports information director for BYU football. Contact him at softball_sid@byu.edu