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Las Vegas • Having lost four of its past five games, the BYU women's basketball team isn't exactly on a roll heading into the West Coast Conference tournament.
But coach Jeff Judkins remains optimistic, believing the Cougars can rekindle some of their midseason magic when they won five straight games to briefly stamp themselves as league title contenders.
The problem is, Saint Mary's is the team that last beat the Cougars before their five-game run, and also the team that ended it, edging the Cougars 76-71 in overtime in Moraga, Calif., on Feb. 12. BYU has won just one game since, a 65-63 conquest of Portland at the Marriott Center.
So the fourth-seeded Gaels (20-9, 13-5 WCC), who tied with Pacific for third place, should have the confidence edge when the teams meet in a WCC quarterfinal game at 9 p.m. MST on Thursday at Orleans Arena.
The game will be televised nationally by BYUtv.
The fifth-seeded Cougars (20-9, 12-6) will need to win the conference tournament title to make it back to the NCAA tournament after making it to the Sweet 16 last year.
After BYU fell 73-66 to league-champion Gonzaga last Saturday at the Marriott Center, Judkins said the team isn't far from being right there with the league leaders.
"On a positive note, we're going to see these guys [Gonzaga] again, and I think we know we can beat them," Judkins said. "They can't play any better than they did [Saturday]. We know that."
It should be a battle of stars. BYU features WCC Player of the Year Morgan Bailey and two-time All-WCC first-teamer Lexi Eaton. Saint Mary's will counter with a pair of outstanding junior guards — Lauren Nicholson and Shannon Mauldin. Nicholson was a first-team selection and Mauldin a second-team pick, while freshman Stella Beck is the league's Newcomer of the Year.
If the Cougars win Thursday, they won't play again until Monday in a semifinal game, most likely against Gonzaga. The top-seeded Zags open on Friday against the Loyola Marymount-Pepperdine winner.
Twitter: @drewjay —
BYU vs. Saint Mary's
P At Orleans Arena, Las Vegas
Tipoff • Thursday, 9 p.m. MST
TV • BYUtv
Radio • BYU Radio — Sirius XM 143
Records • BYU 20-9, 12-6 WCC; SMC 20-9, 13-5
Series History • SMC leads, 6-3
Last Meeting • SMC 76, BYU 71 OT (Feb. 12)
About the Gaels • They swept the Cougars in the regular season to get the fourth seed in the conference tournament. … Freshman Stella Beck is the WCC Newcomer of the Year after leading the league in field-goal percentage (56.8) and averaging 8.1 ppg and 6 rpg. Junior guard Lauren Nicholson earned first-team honors.
About the Cougars • They lost four of their past five regular season games after winning five straight games to get within a game of first place. … Senior F Morgan Bailey is the WCC Player of the Year, and junior G Lexi Eaton earned first-team honors.