Arizona closes strong to edge BYU, 75-72, at McKale Center

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

TUCSON

Junior guard Sumayah Sugapong scored 18 points and made four free throws in the final minute as the Arizona Wildcats closed the game on a decisive late run to defeat the BYU Cougars 75–72 on Tuesday night at the McKale Center, earning head coach Becky Burke her first Big 12 conference victory at Arizona.

Arizona forced 27 turnovers and outscored BYU 24–15 in the fourth quarter, holding the Cougars without a field goal over the final 2:46 to seal the win.

The matchup featured BYU guard freshman guard Sydney Benally (Navajo) facing Arizona senior guard Noelani Cornfield (Seneca) in what marked a rare Big 12 meeting between two Native American players.

Cornfield, the Wildcat’s second-leading scorer and primary facilitator, finished with 10 points and 10 assists before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. Benally logged 27 minutes, finishing with five points and three assists, scoring all her points after halftime.

BYU opened the game with energy, jumping out to a 9–2 lead as four different players scored in the first two minutes. Sophomore guard Delaney Gibb, junior guard Marya Hudgins and freshman forward Bolanle Yussuf all contributed early as the Cougars attacked in transition and pushed the pace.

Arizona answered with defensive pressure, forcing consecutive turnovers, and closing the gap with a 10–3 run to tie the game at 12 with 4:35 remaining in the first quarter. Senior forward Nora Francois scored six points during the stretch, setting the tone for what would become a game-high 21-point night.

The Wildcats took a 22–20 lead at the end of the first quarter behind eight points each from Francois and Cornfield. Gibb led BYU in the period with six points, including a 3-pointer, a layup, and a free throw.

The second quarter remained tightly contested as both teams traded baskets. BYU regained momentum midway through the period, using a balanced scoring effort to build a 33–28 lead with three minutes remaining in the half. Senior guard Mickayla Perdue answered for Arizona, knocking down a 3-pointer and converting two free throws to even the score at 33.

At halftime, BYU was led by Hudgins with six points, while Yussuf added four and Gibb connected from beyond the arc. Arizona countered with eight points from Perdue, five from Francois and contributions from Sugapong to send the game into the break tied at 33.

Arizona briefly gained separation early in the third quarter, taking a 38–33 lead, but BYU responded with its most productive stretch of the night. The Cougars went on a 12–2 run to take a 57–51 advantage late in the period, outscoring Arizona 24–18 in the quarter.

Benally got on the scoreboard during the run, knocking down a 3-pointer and adding five points in the period. Hudgins, Gibb and sophomore forward Brinley Cannon also contributed, while senior forward Lara Rohkohl, freshman guard Olivia Hamlin and Yussuf chipped in to keep pressure on the Wildcats.

Arizona stayed within striking distance behind junior guard Tanyuel Welch, who scored seven points in the quarter on a pair of layups and three free throws. Sugapong added five points, Francois scored four and Cornfield converted two free throws.

BYU extended its lead early in the fourth quarter, going up 61–54 with seven minutes remaining. Francois then took control, scoring six points during a 10–2 Arizona run that gave the Wildcats a 64–63 lead with 4:45 left.

The teams exchanged scores down the stretch before Gibb drilled a 3-pointer with 2:46 remaining to give BYU its final lead at 71–68. From there, Arizona’s defense took over.

Sugapong tied the game at 71 with a critical 3-pointer with one minute left. BYU called timeout but failed to convert on its next possession, while Arizona capitalized at the free-throw line. Sugapong went 4-for-4 in the final minute as BYU managed just two free throws the rest of the way.

Gibb led BYU with 21 points, while Hudgins finished with 17 points and six rebounds. For Arizona, Sugapong scored 18 points and Welch grabbed 14 rebounds, controlling the paint in the final quarter.

“I am overjoyed. I’m so excited for our group. You know, we needed this.“ Burke said. “We worked our butts off for this. That’s a really, really, really good team. I’ve played, I’ve won games, I’ve done it. Like I am so happy for them. For a lot of these, literally, all three of these guys to win their first Power 4 games, especially here in Arizona, it’s really special. And we were just talking through the first three games of big 12 play.”

Burke credited Arizona’s defensive adjustments for the turnaround.

“Well, we forced them into 27 turnovers.” she said. “Their offense is very ball-screen oriented, and we didn’t want to let them get comfortable. Our ball pressure and our hedging were outstanding for 40 minutes.”

Arizona improved to 10–5 overall and 1–3 in Big 12 play. BYU fell to 13–3 overall and 2–2 in conference action.

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