PROVO, Utah – The BYU women's basketball team fell short in the final minutes as Saint Mary's took a 78-75 win on Thursday in the Marriott Center.

BYU vs. Saint Mary's Final Box Score

"I’ve got to give Saint Mary’s a lot of credit," BYU head coach Jeff Judkins said. "I thought the last four or five minutes of the game they did a really great job at executing – a lot better than we did. They got the shots that they wanted, they spread it out and took advantage of what they had on us. They got better shots, and when it comes down to that, a lot of times you’re going to win the game because of that."

Paisley Johnson led the team with 20 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Shaylee Gonzales contributed 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and one block. Jasmine Moody scored 12 points while grabbing seven rebounds. Caitlyn Alldredge recorded 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block.

Saint Mary's came out strong and took a 13-4 lead with under five minutes remaining in the first quarter as the Cougars struggled to score, starting the game 1 of 9 from the field.

After a timeout, Gonzales scored two layups to bring the score to 15-8. The BYU defense was unable to slow down the Gaels, as Saint Mary's held a 21-12 lead going into the second quarter.

As the Gaels continued to extend their lead, Alldredge and Sara Hamson checked in and immediately connected on offense as Hamson scored at the rim to bring the score to 26-16 with 6:28 on the clock.

A forced turnover on one end resulted in a deep trey by Brenna Chase and on the next possession Alldredge hit her own bucket from beyond the arc to bring the Cougars within five, 29-24.

In back-to-back possessions, Gonzales and Babalu Ugwu finished at the rim as BYU continued to cut into the deficit. A Saint Mary's turnover was answered with a pair of free throws by Gonzales to even the game at 33-all and 2:38 remaining in the first half.

Another pair of points from the charity stripe gave the Cougars a 35-33 lead but the Gaels answered with a 3-pointer to take it back.

Saint Mary's kept a 39-35 advantage as the two teams headed into the locker room. In the first half, BYU shot 32.4 percent from the field while the Gaels shot 40 percent.

The Cougars went on a 6-0 run in the beginning of the third quarter as three different players contributed a basket to tie the game at 42-all.

Alldredge scored five-straight points as she hit a trey and then picked up a steal for a layup. On the following possession, she grabbed another steal and set up Johnson for a bucket at the rim to give BYU a 49-44 lead with six minutes on the clock.

Throughout the remaining time in the third quarter, the Cougars went on an 11-5 run as BYU held a 60-53 advantage with one quarter left to play.

The Gaels came out strong in the final quarter, scoring eight-straight points to take a 61-60 lead with 8:22 left to play.

Chase ended the run and then a bucket by Moody put the Cougars back on top, 64-63 but Saint Mary's continued to put the ball in the basket as the two teams traded being on top.

With the score at 70-all and just over two minutes to play, the Gaels scored on back-to-back possessions to take a 75-70 lead but Alldredge answered with a 3-pointer to keep it a one possession game with 43 seconds remaining. 

Saint Mary's finished at the line and held on to take the win in West Coast Conference action. 

The Cougars shot 41.8 percent from the field, 31.3 percent from 3 and 66.7 percent from the free throw line. The Gaels recorded 44.1 percent from the field, 40 percent from beyond the arc and 66.7 percent from the charity stripe.

BYU returns to the Marriott Center on Saturday, Feb. 9 as they host Pacific. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. MST and will be televised live on BYUtv.

BYU vs. Saint Mary’s Postgame Notes

Team

• BYU had four players in double-figure points for the sixth time this season: Paisley Johnson (20), Shaylee Gonzales (13), Jasmine Moody (12) and Caitlyn Alldredge (11).

• The Cougars committed just two turnovers in the first half and scored nine points off of eight Saint Mary’s miscues. BYU finished the game with just five turnovers and held a 19-0 advantage in points off turnovers.

• BYU led in both points in the paint and fast-break points at halftime with 16-12 and 9-4 advantages, respectively. The Cougars finished with a 44-28 lead in points in the paint and an 18-5 lead in fast break points.

• The Cougars finished with large leads in steals and assists with 10-3 and 18-13 advantages.

• 3,981 fans were in attendance at the Kids Day Game, the highest mark this season.

Player

• Paisley Johnson led all players in scoring with 20 points, the fifth time this season she has scored 20 or more.

• Caitlyn Alldredge had a career-high 11 points, including three made 3-pointers, and a career-high two steals as well.

• Freshman Babalu Ugwu also had a career-high in steals with three, all of which came in the first half. She also tied with Jasmine Moody for a team-high seven boards.

• Shaylee Gonzales reached double figures in the second quarter with 11 points and finished with 13, giving her double-figure points in 21 of 23 games.

• Brenna Chase led the Cougars in assists with six and also added nine points.

• Jasmine Moody was the final Cougar in double figures with 12, and also had a team-high seven rebounds.

With a 17-5, 9-2 record, BYU women’s basketball is in second place in the latest West Coast Conference standings. The Cougars host St. Mary’s (14-8, 7-4) Thursday, Feb. 7, at 11 a.m. MST in the annual Kids Day game. The league game will air live on BYUtv and online at byutv.org.

BYU vs. St. Mary' Game Notes

ABOUT BYU

• Freshman Shaylee Gonzales, who has scored in double-digits in 20 of 22 games, leads the team in scoring and assists with 16.2 and 4.2 averages, respectively. Sophomore Paisley Johnson contributes 14.0 points while junior Brenna Chase puts up 11.9 points a contest. Chase leads in steals (2.6 spg).  Senior forward Jasmine Moody tops the leaderboard in rebounding, averaging 5.7 boards a game. Sophomore center Sara Hamson leads the team in blocks with a 2.2 average and second on the team in rebounding, pulling down 5.6 boards a game.
• In the WCC, the Cougars rank second in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, blocked shots and assist/turnover ratio; third in assists, scoring margin and 3-point field goals made; and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage defense, rebounding offense, steals and turnover margin. 
• In the first meeting with St. Mary’s this year, the Cougars picked up a 74-73 victory in Moraga on Jan. 12. The league foes are currently tied in the overall series at 9-9. The Gaels are 2-6 in Provo and last won in the Marriott Center on Feb. 12, 2015, in a 76-71 overtime victory.

ABOUT ST. MARY’S

• Heading into this week’s league race, St. Mary’s has a 14-8, 7-4 and is tied in third place with Pacific.
• The Gaels have conference wins over San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Pepperdine and LMU. They swept the series with Portland and lost twice to Gonzaga.
• SMC is averaging 76.5 points and 40.2 rebounds a contest. The team shoots 48.5 percent from the field, 38.6 percent from 3-point range and 67.8 percent from the charity stripe.
• Three players are contributing double-digit points for the Gaels, led by Sydney Raggio’s 12.0 points and a team-best 8.4 rebounds per contest. Teammate Megan McKay follows with 11.8 points a game. Sam Simons is the third player putting up double-figure points with 11.3. Madeline Holland leads the way in assists, dishing out a team-high 3.6.

UP NEXT FOR BYU

After hosting St. Mary’s Thursday, the Cougar women remain home to battle Pacific on Saturday, Feb. 9, at 2 p.m. MST. The game will air live on BYUtv and online at byutv.org.