3 keys in the BYU Cougars’ 69-66 win over Rutgers Scarlet Knights in NCAA Women’s Tournament
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BYU’s Paisley Harding (13) celebrates after BYU defeated Rutgers in the first round of the women’s NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. BYU defeated Rutgers 69-66. Chuck Burton, Associated Press
The BYU women’s basketball team became the first lower-seeded team to pull an upset in the NCAA Tournament, rallying with a strong fourth quarter to beat Rutgers 69-66 on Monday at Strahan Arena in San Marcos, Texas.
The Cougars will face No. 3 seed Arizona, a 79-44 winner over Stony Brook, in the second round on Wednesday.
Senior Paisley Harding had a monster game for the Cougars (19-5), scoring a team-high 28 points on 8 of 17 shooting, and that included making four 3-pointers. Johnson-Harding was 8 of 10 from the free-throw line and added five rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot, though she turned the ball over nine times. Shaylee Gonzales added 17 points, with most of her damage coming from the free-throw line, as BYU overcame shooting 37% and a 30-point effort from Rutgers’ Arella Guirantes.
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BYU's Tegan Graham (10) blocks a last-second shot by Rutgers's Arella Guirantes (24) in the second half of a college basketball game in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
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BYU's Paisley Harding (13) embraces teammate Shaylee Gonzales (2) after defeating Rutgers in a college basketball game in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
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BYU's Shaylee Gonzales (2) steals the ball from Rutgers's Arella Guirantes (24) during the first half of a college basketball game in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
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BYU's Paisley Harding (13) looks toward fans as she celebrates after BYU defeated Rutgers in a college basketball game in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. BYU defeated Rutgers 69-66. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
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BYU's Paisley Harding (13) shoots against Rutgers's Sakima Walker (12) during the first half of a college basketball game in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
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BYU's Maria Albiero (5) loses the ball as she is trapped by Rutgers's Mael Gilles (13) and Diamond Johnson (3) during the first half of a college basketball game in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
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Rutgers's Tyia Singleton (22) drives past BYU's Tegan Graham (10) during the first half of a college basketball game in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
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Rutgers's Arella Guirantes (24) shoots against BYU's Paisley Harding (13) during the first half of a college basketball game in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
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Rutgers's Tekia Mack (31) reacts after being called for a foul against BYU during the first half of a college basketball game in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
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BYU head coach Jeff Judkins shouts to his team during the first half of a college basketball game against Rutgers in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
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Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer talks to her team during a timeout in the first half of a college basketball game against BYU in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
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Rutgers's Erica Lafayette (10) and Arella Guirantes (24) react after Rutger's loss to BYU in a college basketball game in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
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Rutgers's Arella Guirantes (24) runs into BYU's Paisley Harding (13) during the second half of a college basketball game in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. Guirantes was called for a charge on the play. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
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BYU's Tegan Graham (10) reacts after making a 3-point basket against Rutgers late during the second half of a college basketball game in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
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Rutgers's Arella Guirantes, left, is trapped by BYU's Paisley Harding, right, and Shaylee Gonzales, bottom, during the second half of a college basketball game in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
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BYU's Tegan Graham (10) blocks a shot by Rutgers's Diamond Johnson (3) during the second half of a college basketball game in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
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Rutgers's Mael Gilles, left, tries to steal the ball from BYU's Kaylee Smiler, right, during the second half of a college basketball game in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament at the University Events Center in San Marcos, Texas, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) | Chuck Burton, Associated Press
Rutgers (14-5) led by as many as 12 points in the third quarter before BYU fought back to take the lead halfway through the final period. The Cougars used a 12-0 run to go ahead in the fourth, then held off all Scarlet Knights’ rallies down the stretch. A key moment came when Gonzalez was fouled shooting a 3-pointer with 30.9 seconds to play with the shot clock about to expire, and she hit all three free throws to make it a 65-61 game. From there, BYU, which outscored Rutgers 26-16 in the final quarter, sealed the win from the free-throw line.
BYU was more efficient from outside, hitting nine 3-pointers to five for Rutgers. That included a 3 from Tegan Graham, who scored all nine of her points from long range, that gave BYU a 62-58 lead with a little over a minute to play. Both teams struggled with turnovers throughout, but BYU did more with Rutgers’ miscues, which included a turnover with 16 seconds to play and the Scarlet Knights down four. The Cougars scored 22 points off 20 Rutgers turnovers, while the Scarlet Knights had 13 points off 19 BYU turnovers.
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