{"id":676047,"date":"2026-03-24T07:55:22","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T07:55:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/676047\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T07:55:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T07:55:22","slug":"byu-pounces-on-missouri-early-extends-season-by-rolling-into-wbit-quarterfinals-deseret-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/676047\/","title":{"rendered":"BYU pounces on Missouri early, extends season by rolling into WBIT quarterfinals \u2013 Deseret News"},"content":{"rendered":"

For 10 seconds Monday night at the Marriott Center, visiting Missouri had a lead on BYU in second-round action of the Women\u2019s Basketball Invitation Tournament.<\/p>\n

And then, the \u201cfun,\u201d as freshman Olivia Hamlin put it, began.<\/p>\n

With a 25-2 run to end the first quarter, the Cougars put themselves in firm control of the postseason contest before rolling to the 93-75 win.<\/p>\n

BYU moves on to the WBIT quarterfinals, where it will host Stanford on Thursday (7 p.m. MDT, ESPN+).<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a good game for us. It was really fun to see just the aggressiveness come out from the jump from our group, because it was something that we emphasized leading into this game,\u201d BYU coach Lee Cummard said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it was both sides \u2014 we wanted to be aggressive offensively and defensively. We knew some of the things they were going to try to do defensively that they were going to try to exploit and got a couple 3s to go early and just kind of continued that way.”<\/p>\n

The Cougars, the only No. 1 seed left in the WBIT, were focused from the jump and pounced on the visiting Tigers, shooting 51.4% and flirting with the century mark before settling in nicely at 93 points.<\/p>\n

It was BYU\u2019s second-highest scoring game of the season.<\/p>\n

The Cougars (24-11) shot a blistering 60% in the first quarter, led by 10 points from All-Big 12 guard Delaney Gibb and 8 from Kambree Barber, as BYU went into the quarter break with a 28-7 lead.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were sharing the ball, finding the open person, so I feel like it just made the game easy,\u201d Barber said. Seven of BYU\u2019s 20 assists were in the first quarter.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 1 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guards Kambree Barber (14) and Olivia Hamlin (7) slap hands with teammates as they exit the game in the fourth quarter during the Cougars’ matchup with the Missouri Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 2 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU players huddle together prior to the Cougars’ matchup with the Missouri Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Ellie Alder\/BYU Athletics \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 3 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guards Kambree Barber shoots the ball during the Cougars’ matchup with the Missouri Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Ellie Alder\/BYU Athletics \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 4 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Olivia Hamlin high-fives fans following the Cougars’ matchup with the Missouri Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Ellie Alder\/BYU Athletics \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 5 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Delaney Gibb (11) drives through the Missouri defense during the Cougars’ matchup with the Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Ellie Alder\/BYU Athletics \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 6 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU women’s basketball coach Lee Cummard instructs his team during the Cougars’ matchup with the Missouri Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Ellie Alder\/BYU Athletics \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 7 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Olivia Hamlin (7) shoots at the rim during the Cougars’ matchup with the Missouri Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Ellie Alder\/BYU Athletics \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 8 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU players celebrate in the locker room following the Cougars’ matchup with the Missouri Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Ellie Alder\/BYU Athletics \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 9 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Olivia Hamlin (7) drives to the basket as Missouri’s Chloe Sotell (22) and Jordana Reisma defend during the Cougars’ matchup with the Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 10 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Delaney Gibb, right, passes to to teammate Bolanle Yussuf, left, between two Missouri defenders during the Cougars’ matchup with the Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 11 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Delaney Gibb (11) drives on Missouri’s Jayla Smith during the Cougars’ matchup with the Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 12 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Olivia Hamlin, left, puts up a shot during the Cougars’ matchup with the Missouri Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 13 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Sydney Benally (2) dribbles past Missouri’s Jayla Smith during the Cougars’ matchup with the Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 14 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Sydney Benally, left, dribbles the ball during the Cougars’ matchup with the Missouri Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 15 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Kambree Barber shoots a 3-pointer the Cougars’ matchup with the Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 16 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Kambree Barber (14) defends Missouri’s Grace Slaughter during the Cougars’ matchup with the Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 17 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Olivia Hamlin (7) passes to teammate Delaney Gibb during the Cougars’ matchup with the Missouri Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 18 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Sydney Delanny (2) drives with Missouri’s Shannon Dowell on defense during the Cougars’ matchup with the Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 19 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Brinley Cannon, left, shoots a 3-pointer as Missouri’s Saniah Tyler defends during the Cougars’ matchup with the Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 20 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Delaney Gibb (11) shoots a 3-pointer during the Cougars’ matchup with the Missouri Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 21 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Delaney Gibb (11) prepares to shoot as Missouri’s Saniah Tyler defends during the Cougars’ matchup with the Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 22 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Olivia Hamlin (7) drives with the ball as Missouri’s Shannon Dowell defends during the Cougars’ matchup with the Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News \"\"<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery: 23 of 23<\/p>\n

BYU guard Olivia Hamlin (7) dribbles the ball as Missouri’s Saniah Tyler applies pressure during the Cougars’ matchup with the Tigers in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News <\/p>\n

Gibb and Barber each hit two 3-pointers in the first period, setting the stage for a night where the Cougars made 14 overall from long range.<\/p>\n

Asked to describe the first-quarter dominance, Hamlin simply said, \u201cI mean, I thought it was fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gibb elaborated.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought that it was one of the best, maybe the best start we\u2019ve had all year,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I think that it started with our intensity on defense. We got great stops and then from there our transition, offense was just really the key to the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sophomore Gibb hit another milestone on her way to a 29-point night as she scored her 1,000th point late in the third quarter. She is the third-fastest in program history to hit the 1,000-point mark.<\/p>\n

Gibb, though, wanted to focus on the team\u2019s success \u2014 the Cougars have won seven of eight as they prepare for the WBIT quarterfinals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew that there was a possibility I could break (1,000 points) this game, but I just thought that today was such an overall success as a team and we just really shared the ball and just played so well together,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd so it\u2019s fun to be able to achieve that in my career on a night where it just felt like we were connected and one together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cougars dominated the transition game to open the contest and ended up outscoring their SEC opponent 19-10 in fastbreak points.<\/p>\n

BYU also crashed the boards, with a dominant 47-33 advantage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI liked where everybody\u2019s mindset was,\u201d Cummard said.<\/p>\n

It was that kind of night for the Cougars at the Marriott Center in front of the home fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe crowd was great tonight. Right from the jump, the energy was in the building and it really played into how our team performed,\u201d Cummard said.<\/p>\n

Gibb and Hamlin (23 points) led the offensive onslaught, though there was plenty of success to go around.<\/p>\n

Gibb shot a torrid 11 of 19 from the field and 7 of 11 from the 3-point line, and she added eight rebounds, six assists and three steals.<\/p>\n

Hamlin, meanwhile, shot 8 of 15 and 3 of 8 from 3-point range, while adding one rebound, one assist, one block and one steal.<\/p>\n

Barber finished with a double-double \u2014 12 points and 11 rebounds \u2014 and Brinley Cannon ended up with 11 points, six assists and five rebounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cKambree, I think, had her best game of the season,\u201d Cummard said. \u201c… She got a couple 3s to go early and then they lost her a couple times.\u201d<\/p>\n

Missouri made it a bit closer in the end, outscoring the Cougars 27-17 in the fourth quarter when the game was all but wrapped.<\/p>\n

Grace Slaughter led the visiting Tigers with 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists, while Chloe Sotell also scored 17.<\/p>\n

Even so, BYU was having all sorts of fun \u2014 leading by 34 at one point while embracing the opportunity to extend their season.<\/p>\n

Bring on Thursday, and the opportunity to host a storied program in Stanford.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it kind of fuels us. We\u2019re here to show that we can do this,\u201d Hamlin said. \u201cSo I think we\u2019re just staying focused and building that fuel to prove that we are good.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For 10 seconds Monday night at the Marriott Center, visiting Missouri had a lead on BYU in second-round…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":676048,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3724],"tags":[7,1111],"class_list":{"0":"post-676047","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-basketball","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-news-feed-local"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116283084736574617","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/676047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=676047"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/676047\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/676048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=676047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=676047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=676047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}