Final Box Score

LAIE, Hawai’i — A double-double from Kalani Purcell helped BYU women’s basketball to a 67–56 win over the University of Hawai’i in the Tom Weston Classic held on the campus of BYU-Hawai’i, Thursday.

“This was a good win for us. We played a good game, especially in the first half. We got a little tired in the second half and we didn’t have a lot of depth in our inside play,” BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. “I thought Kalani played a great game. She played all forty minutes tonight. Her rebounding was excellent. I also thought Kylie had a very good game and Makenzi shot the ball very well tonight.”

Purcell recorded her third double-double of the season ending the game with 16 points and a game-high 16 rebounds, while also adding seven assists and two steals. Lexi Eaton Rydalch finished the contest with a game-high 19 points, shooting 7 for 15 from the field. She also added four rebounds and four assists. Makenzi Morrison Pulsipher also scored 18 points for the Cougars, shooting an astounding 80.0 percent (4 of 5) from behind the arc. Pulsipher also added two rebounds and two assists.

The University of Hawai’i (4-4) scored the first points of the game off of a jumper by Kalei Adolpho, who finished the game with a team-high 17 points for the Rainbow Wahine. Afterwards, BYU (5-3) went on a 9-3 run fueled by a 3-pointer by Pulsipher and a 3-point play by Purcell. Teams then traded baskets midway through the first period with the Wahine making a run of their own to bring the score to 11-9 with BYU in the lead at the 4:42 mark.

Pulsipher extended the Cougars lead with 10 seconds left in the period converting her second 3-point field goal to put BYU up 18-12 going into the second period. Pulsipher led the Cougars with eight points, going 3-3 from the field, through the first ten minutes of action, while Purcell brought down a game-high six rebounds.

The Wahine opened the period with two free throws and a fast break layup cutting the Cougars lead down to two, 18-16. BYU proceeded to go on a 9-0 run with jumpers from Amanda Wayment and Purcell, and a 3-pointer and floater by Kylie Maeda to put the Cougars up 27-16.

BYU went into the half holding a 13-point lead over Hawai’i, 31-18, with the Cougars outscoring the Wahine 13 to 6 in the second period. The first half points were evenly distributed with Pulsipher leading all Cougar scorers with 10, shooting 4 for 5 from the field. Rydalch added seven and Purcell and Maeda added five points apiece. Purcell went into the half with a game-high 11 rebounds.

The Cougars came out strong to start the second half pushing their lead to 17 behind two fast break layups by Rydalch. BYU continued to push the ball up the court looking for opportunities to score as Maeda found Pulsipher on the wing for her third 3-point field goal of the game. Purcell then put the Cougars up 48-25 hitting a shot from behind the arc to give her a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds for the game.

At the 1:28 mark, Rydalch hit one of two free throws giving her 19 points for the game, with 11 coming in the third period. With the made free throw, the Cougars went up 25, 54-29. Through three periods of play the Cougars held the Wahine to just 31.7 percent shooting from the field, while BYU shot 51.2 percent from the field through the first 30 minutes of action.

Hawai’i started off the fourth period on a 4-0 run behind a 3-pointer from Marissa Wimbley for the Wahine’s first 3-pointer of the game. Purcell cut the run with a fast break bucket and reverse layup off an inbounds pass by Rydalch giving her 14 points. On the next play, Pulsipher made her fourth 3-point basket of the game on a pass from Rydalch to put the Cougars up 61-42.

On a layup by Ashleigh Karaitiana, Hawai'i cut the Cougars lead to 14, 63-49. BYU proceeded to work deep in to the shot clock to try to keep their cushion, but couldn’t convert. Hawai’i then cut the Cougars lead to nine, 63-54, on a 3-pointer by Leah Salanoa, converting its fourth 3-point basket of the period.

In the last minute of the game, Hawai’i brought pressure, but BYU was able to hold off the Wahine’s late surge as Cassie Broadhead made a pair of free throws to keep the Cougar lead at nine, 65-56.

The Cougars took advantage of Hawai’i turnovers as they scored 19 points off of Wahine giveaways, while the University of Hawai’i had 11. BYU also recorded six steals to Hawai’i’s three.

BYU women’s basketball will play its third and final game of the Tom Weston Classic, Saturday, as the take on No. 11 Texas A&M. Teams will tip off at 2 p.m. HT (5 p.m. MST). Links for live stats and video streaming can be found on the BYU women’s basketball schedule page.

Postgame Notes

Team

BYU enjoyed its largest lead of the first half, up by 13, 29-16. They went into the locker room with that same lead, 31-18. With under a minute left in the third period, the Cougars enjoyed their largest lead of the game, up by 23, 54-31. They finished the game with an 11-point advantage, 67-56. With the win over Hawaii, BYU improved its record in the Tom Weston Classic to 13-1. The Cougars have one more game in this year’s tournament, a matchup with No. 11 Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. HST.

At the break, BYU had scored 11 points off of Hawaii turnovers. The Rainbow Wahine had tallied six points from Cougar mistakes. For the game, BYU tallied 13 points off of opponent turnovers. Hawaii had 12 points from BYU mistakes.

In the rebound category, the Cougars went into halftime with one more rebound over the Rainbow Wahine, 21-20. At the conclusion of the contest, Hawaii won the rebound battle 37 to 34.

BYU had a 4 to 1 advantage in steals in the first half and a 9 to 6 lead in assists. The Cougars finished with six steals and 18 assists. The Rainbow Wahine got a total of three steals and 17 assists.

Player

Kalani Purcell
Kalani Purcell grabbed 11 rebounds in the first two periods to lead all players. Purcell also had halftime bests in assists with five. She finished the game with her third double double of the year from a game-high 16 total rebounds and 16 points. Purcell also dished out game bests in assists with seven.

Makenzi Morrison Pulsipher
Makenzi Morrison Pulsipher picked up her sixth double digit outing in points with 10, midway through the second period to lead the Cougar effort. She finished the game with 18 points along with two rebounds and two assists.

Lexi Eaton Rydalch
With a game high 19 points, Lexi Eaton Rydalch picked up her eighth straight game scoring in double figures. She also grabbed four rebounds and four assists in the win.

BYU Game Notes vs. BYU-H

PROVO, Utah— With a 3-3 record, the Cougar women’s basketball team continues its nonconference portion of the 2015-16 schedule, taking its third road trip to date. BYU will compete in the Tom Weston Classic in Laie, Hawaii, on the BYU-Hawaii Campus, Dec. 2-5.

On Wednesday, Dec. 2, they will take on BYU-Hawaii (3-2) at 7 p.m. HT. On Thursday, Dec. 3, they will battle the University of Hawaii at 6 p.m. HT and on Saturday, Dec. 5, they will take on No. 9 Texas A&M (5-1) at 2 p.m. HT. All games will be played in the Cannon Activities Center.

ABOUT BYU
This will be the seventh time that BYU has participated in the Tom Weston Classic, formerly the Hukilau Invitational. The first tournament was held in 2008. It was not held during the 2012-13 and the 2013-14 season. It became the Tom Weston Invitational last year. The Cougars enter the tournament with an 11-1 invitational record. Their only loss was last year on Nov. 29 when BYU lost to Oregon State 71-61. 

BYU has two players that are scoring in double figures. All-American senior guard Lexi Eaton Rydalch (21.8) and junior Makenzi Morrison Pulsipher (11.2). All-American Kalani Purcell, a junior college transfer from Hutchinson Community College and Hamilton, New Zealand, leads the way in the rebound category (12.8). She also contributes 9.7 points a game.

The Cougars are scoring 63.7 points per game, shooting 38 percent from the field, 70 percent from the free throw line and 38 percent from 3-point range.

• Head coach: Jeff Judkins (Utah, ‘78) 15th season
• Team’s leading scorer: #21 L. Eaton Rydalch, 21.8 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #32 K. Purcell, 12.8 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #3 K. Maeda, 3.8 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #23 M. Morrison Pulsipher, 2.0 spg
• Team’s blocks leader: #32, K. Purcell, .50 bpg

ABOUT BYU-HAWAII
BYU-Hawaii has compiled a 3-2 record with wins over Alaska Fairbanks and Arizona Christian, twice.

The Seasiders return two starters and several key bench players from the 2014-15 squad that finished with the second best record in the program’s history, 15-11.

Valarie Nawahine is one of four players for the Seasiders scoring in double digits with 13.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Jiashan Cui follows with 12.4 points while Celeste Claw contributes 11.6 points. Rounding out the scoring is Kjirsten Nelson who tallies 10.8 points. The team’s leading rebounder is Emily Nelson who pulls down 8.8 rebounds per game.

As a team, BYU-Hawaii is scoring 66.8 points per game while shooting 40 percent from the field, 75 percent from the free throw line and 30 percent from behind the arc.

• Head coach: Craig Stanger, third season
• Team’s leading scorer: #23 V. Nawahine, 13.6 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #25 E. Nelson, 8.8 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #03 C. Claw, 7.8 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #03 C. Claw, 1.8 spg
• Team’s blocks leader: #25 E. Nelson, .80 bpg

Series History
BYU Provo leads the series 3-0. All games with the Seasiders have been in the Tom Weston Classic. BYU Provo defeated BYU-Hawaii last 73-52 on Nov. 27, 2014.

ABOUT HAWAII
The University of Hawaii enters the Tom Weston Classic with a 4-3 record. They were picked to finish first in the Big West.

Sarah Toeaina leads the Rainbow Wahine with 10.5 points per game. Teammate Megan Huff is their leading rebounder, pulling down 6.7 boards a game. She also contributes 9.5 points.

Hawaii is scoring 62.5 points per game while shooting 39 percent from the field, 21 percent behind the arc and 70 percent from the free throw line.

In the series history with the Rainbow Wahine, Hawaii has a 7-4 edge over the Cougars.  The two last met on Dec. 5, 2009 in this same tournament with BYU picking up the 81-44 win.

ABOUT TEXAS A&M
The Aggies have a 5-1 mark to date and are ninth in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches Poll.

Texas A&M returns eight letterwinners including four starters from a team that last year went 23-10, finished tied for fourth place in the Southeastern Conference and competed in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The Aggies have three players scoring in double digits with 18.3 points each from Courtney Walker and Courtney Williams. Teammate Jordan Jones is chipping in 10.8 points a game. Khaalia Hillsman is the team’s leading rebounder as she grabs 6.7 boards per contest.

Texas A&M is averaging 80.7 points a game, shooting 47 percent from the field, 40 percent from behind the arc and 66 percent at the charity stripe.

Saturday’s meeting between Texas A&M and BYU is the first ever for the two teams.

Up Next
After the three games the Cougar women play in Laie, the team returns to action in the state of Utah. BYU takes a quick trip to Ogden to battle in-state foe Weber State on Thursday, Dec. 10, in a 7 p.m. tip. Then on Saturday, Dec. 12, BYU plays its final nonconference game hosting in-state rival Utah at 2 p.m.