PROVO, Utah – Shalae Salmon, Brenna Chase and Paisley Johnson all scored in double digits to lead BYU women’s basketball to an exhibition win against Dixie State, 83-56, Tuesday.

BYU vs. Dixie State Box Score

"I thought Paisley and Shalae came out and played well," BYU women's basketball head coach Jeff Judkins said. "They played like they practiced and were very aggressive. Generally, we just need to have it all together. That's why you have these games, to build confidence and get things going. We have a lot of work to do, but we'll get there."

Chase led the team with 13 points, six assists and five steals, while Salmon contributed a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Johnson and Shaylee Gonzales followed with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

The game started with two free throws by Dixie State’s Mariah Martin. Martin quickly followed up with a two-pointer to put the Trailblazers up 4-0. BYU responded with a jumper by Salmon to put the team on the board.

The Cougars then scored three consecutive layups to take their first lead of the game in the seventh minute, 8-7, a lead they never relinquished. Salmon then added two layups to go up 12-9. Gonzales and Chase made back-to-back 3-pointers, and took a four-point lead 18-14.

Salmon went to the line for two and a jumper at the top of the paint by Ashley Beckstrand, gave BYU its largest lead of the game so far, 24-16. Dixie State tried to cut into the lead, but the Cougars pressed forward, up by 11, 35-24 in the sixth minute of the second period.

BYU scored three more times off of layups by Gonzales and Johnson, and a three-pointer by Abby Mangum, to give the team a 13-point lead at the half, 42-29. Salmon led the team with 11 points and eight rebounds at the break, while Johnson followed with 10 points and three rebounds. Chase also contributed four assists in the first half.

The second half started similar to the first, with BYU scoring twice on free throws by Gonzales, adding to its lead, 46-29. Chase and Moody contributed to the score with two jumpers to push the Cougars’ lead to 54-36. A big layup by Chase on a fast break added to BYU’s advantage, up by 21 points, 64-43. The Trailblazers cut the lead to 20, 66-46, on a layup to end the third quarter.

BYU’s Maria Albiero scored the first basket of the fourth quarter and her first of the game to go up 68-46. Soon after, Signe Glantz made her first basket of the evening off a layup, contributing two points to the Cougars’ 23-point lead, 73-50. With three minutes left in the game, Malli Valgardson also scored her first basket off a jumper at the top of the paint, giving BYU the 78-52 advantage. Valgardson ended the second half with a big three-pointer to make the final score 83-56.

The Cougars start the 2018-19 season with a home game vs. UC Riverside Friday, Nov. 9, at 5 p.m. in the Marriott Center. The game will be broadcast live on BYUtv and BYUtv.org.

Postgame Notes

First Quarter

• BYU used an 8-0 run to take its first lead of the game, 10-7, midway through the first quarter

• The Cougars closed the first quarter on an 8-2 run

• Salmon had six points and five rebounds in the first quarter

Second Quarter

• BYU went on a 10-0 run to go up 37-24 with three minutes left in the second

• An extended 15-3 run put the Cougars in control, 42-27, with 2:37 left

• BYU held Dixie State scoreless for the final 3:26 of the second quarter

• BYU shot 52 percent from the field in the first half, with 26 points in the paint

• The Cougars had six steals in the first half, and Mangum and Chase both had two

• Salmon had 11 points and eight rebounds in the first half and Chase had four assists

• Two Cougars were in double figures, Salmon with 11 and Johnson with 10, through two quarters

Third Quarter

• Shaylee Gonzales reached double digits with a three-point play to open the second half

• Salmon reached a double-double midway through the third quarter with 12 points and 10 rebounds

• Chase reached double digits late in the third quarter with 11 points

• BYU was up to 38 points in the paint after three quarters

• The Cougars had nine steals through three quarters, with five from Chase alone

Fourth Quarter

• Free throws from Alldredge put BYU up by 25, 75-50, with 4:28 to go

• BYU shot 74 percent from the free-throw line, 17 of 23, in the game

• BYU finished with 42 points in the paint

• The Cougars shared the ball with 20 assists on the night

• BYU’s defense stepped up to provide 11 steals

PROVO, Utah – BYU women’s basketball will host Dixie State Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m., in an exhibition contest.

Tuesday’s game is free to the public and will give Cougar fans the first opportunity to see the 16-member 2018-19 team in action at the Marriott Center.  

About BYU

BYU returns two starters in junior guard Brenna Chase and sophomore center Sara Hamson. Chase was named to the West Coast Conference First Team last season and was on this year’s All-WCC Preseason Team. Hamson returns as the reigning 2017 WCC Defensive Player of the Year, while leading the nation in blocked shots per game.

Among the returning letterwinners is junior forward Shalae Salmon, who played in all games and started in 13 last season. The 6-foot-3 center from Porirua, New Zealand, averaged 4.8 points and 5.4 rebounds a game.

Jasmine Moody, a 6-foot-2 forward, is the lone senior with playing time on the team. She played in the first five games last year before a leg injury sidelined her the remainder of the season. During the 2016-17 campaign, she played in 26 games averaging 10.3 minutes of playing time and contributed 2.3 points and 2.3 rebounds to a team that compiled a 20-12 record.

Sophomores Paisley Johnson and Maria Albiero are back for their second season on the team. Both played in all games last year. Johnson averaged 5.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while playing nearly 20 minutes a game. Albiero, from Londrina, Brazil, averaged almost nine minutes of playing time contributing 2.2 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.76 assists per contest.

With a total of 11 underclassmen, the 2018-19 will be very young. Five standout true freshmen along with three redshirt freshmen are part of the young class.

The team will also boast a talented international presence after adding one more player from Brazil, one from New Zealand and one from Sweden. A total of six foreign players with international playing experience will be part of this year's team.

Last year, the Cougars compiled a 16-14 record, going 11-7 in conference play for third place in the WCC regular season race.

About Dixie State

Dixie State finished the 2017-18 season with a 12-15 record, and 8-12 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

This year’s squad returns the second leading scorer, sophomore guard Mariah Martin, who averaged 10.5 points per game while dishing out 4.6 assists per contest. Senior Maile Richardson returns for her senior season with averages of 5.3 rebounds and 7.2 points a game.

Head coach JD Gustin enters his third season at the helm of the Trailblazers' women’s basketball program.

Up Next for BYU

The Cougar women officially open the 2018-19 season hosting UC Riverside on Friday, Nov. 9, at 5 p.m. MST. The game will be carried live on BYUtv.