OVIEDO, Fla. (Interstat) — The BYU women’s basketball team used a dominant third quarter to secure a 71-50 road victory over UCF in a Big 12 Conference game Saturday at CFE Arena. The Cougars (13-1) led 33-24 at halftime before outscoring the Knights 22-6 in the third period to break the game open. BYU’s defense forced 20 turnovers and held UCF to 1-for-8 shooting from 3-point range. Leah Harmon led UCF (8-4) with 16 points. Delaney Gibb scored 12 points for BYU, and Sydney Benally added 11. The Cougars shot 39% from the field and outrebounded the Knights 14-5 on the offensive glass. Attendance was 1,011.

OVIEDO, Fla. (Interstat) — The BYU women’s basketball team used a dominant defensive performance, particularly in a suffocating third quarter, to secure a decisive 71-50 road victory over UCF in a Big 12 Conference matchup Saturday at CFE Arena. The Cougars, improving to 13-1 overall, held the Knights to a season-low in points and a frigid offensive performance. UCF, which fell to 8-4, managed just six points in the pivotal third quarter, shooting 19% from the floor during the period as BYU turned a 33-24 halftime lead into a commanding 55-30 advantage. The most important part of the game was BYU’s third-quarter lockdown. After UCF’s Leah Harmon scored on a driving layup to cut the BYU lead to 28-26 early in the quarter, the Cougars embarked on a game-defining 27-2 run that spanned the remainder of the third and the opening minutes of the fourth. The Knights went scoreless for over seven minutes and made only two field goals in the entire quarter. BYU’s defense forced seven UCF turnovers in the period, converting them into easy transition opportunities while the Knights’ offense completely stalled. BYU’s defense set the tone from the outset, pressuring UCF into 20 total turnovers and converting them into 23 points. The Cougars also dominated the glass with a 14-5 advantage in offensive rebounds, leading to 18 second-chance points. UCF struggled mightily from beyond the arc, making just 1 of 8 three-point attempts, and shot only 35.8% from the field overall. Delaney Gibb came off the bench to lead BYU with 12 points, including two three-pointers during the Cougars’ decisive run. Sydney Benally and Marya Hudgins each added 11 points, with Benally contributing three assists. Center Lara Rohkohl of Hannover, Germany, provided a strong interior presence with seven points, nine rebounds, and a block. UCF was led by guard Leah Harmon of Paterson, New Jersey, who scored a game-high 16 points. Jacorriah Bracey added nine points, but the Knights’ offense never found a consistent rhythm against BYU’s aggressive defensive schemes. UCF’s offensive rating of 64.9 points per 100 possessions underscored their struggles. BYU built its early lead with a balanced attack, leading 17-12 after a first quarter that saw six lead changes. The Cougars extended the margin to nine by halftime before the third-quarter explosion put the game out of reach. UCF’s 20-point fourth quarter came largely against BYU reserves after the outcome was decided. The Cougars shot 39.1% from the field and out-assisted the Knights 14-8. Bolanle Yussuf, a forward from Lagos, Nigeria, anchored the defensive effort with four points, seven rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in just 14 minutes of action. A crowd of 1,011 at CFE Arena saw BYU win its second straight game following a 13-point road loss at Vanderbilt on Nov. 29, which remains the Cougars’ only defeat. UCF saw a three-game winning streak snapped. National Statistical’s ELO system had given BYU a 61.9% probability to win entering the contest. BYU will next host Texas Christian on Dec. 31 to continue Big 12 play. UCF travels to face Texas Tech on the same date.

Preview: BYU Visits UCF in Big 12 Women’s Basketball Showdown OVIEDO, Fla. (Interstat) — A surging BYU women’s basketball team puts its 12-1 record on the line Saturday when it visits UCF in a Big 12 conference matchup at CFE Arena. The Cougars, whose only loss came at Vanderbilt on Nov. 29, have won six straight games, including an 81-46 rout of UTEP last Saturday. They are led by guard Olivia Hamlin, who is averaging 17.2 points over her last five contests. Hamlin scored 20 points in 30 minutes against UTEP. UCF (8-3) has won two straight, most recently a 78-56 victory over Morgan State last Sunday. The Knights have relied on balanced scoring, with Jasmynne Gibson (14 points), Leah Harmon (17 points) and Khyala Ngodu (17 points) all contributing significantly in that win. This game marks the conference opener for both teams in a reshaped Big 12. BYU’s strong start includes notable non-conference wins over Washington State and Virginia Tech. The Cougars have shown offensive firepower, scoring 80 or more points in five games this season. UCF’s three losses have been narrow, including a 70-67 defeat to Stetson and a 65-60 overtime loss to Wake Forest. The Knights will look to leverage their home court, where they are 6-1 this season, to counter BYU’s momentum. The Knights will need to contain Hamlin and a deep BYU rotation that saw Kambree Barber add 13 points and Sydney Benally dish 7 assists against UTEP. UCF’s Gibson, coming off a season-high 14 points, will be a key factor in the Knights’ backcourt. Saturday’s contest tips off at 2 p.m. EST and will be a critical early benchmark for both programs in the new-look league. BYU’s high-powered offense, averaging 75.2 points per game, will be tested by a UCF defense that has held opponents to 59.2 points on average at home. The Cougars continue their road trip to face TCU on Dec. 31, while UCF travels to Texas Tech on the same date.