Freshmen learning on the fly for 8-1 BYU women's basketball

SALT LAKE CITY — It's been less than nine months since Olivia Hamlin asked out of her national letter of intent with Nebraska, graduated from Snow Canyon, enrolled at BYU, and found a role in the Cougars' starting lineup due to injury, and has helped her team to a 7-1 start ahead of Wednesday's matinee tipoff against Washington State at the Delta Center.

Along the way, the not-so-distantly named two-time Utah 4A Player of the Year has experienced plenty of new things, both in basketball and as a freshman in college.

Add another to the list.

Hamlin had 14 points and two rebounds Wednesday, including the game-winning jumper as time expired to help BYU women's basketball hold on for a 56-54 win over Washington State, improving the hosts to 8-1 inside their home away from home.

In a game where BYU shot just 34.5% from the field, Hamlin — along with teammate Arielle Mackey-Williams, who tied for the team high with 14 points — was a bright spot.

Hamlin has hit game-winners before — at least one, her parents remind her. But she isn't certain if she's had any more true buzzer beaters, and she certainly hasn't in the first nine games of her freshman campaign where she's averaged 27 minutes per game including five starts since sophomore star Delaney Gibb was forced from the lineup with a lower-leg injury.

But this time, she felt pretty confident in her shot. Confident enough, at least.

"Every time I shoot, I guess there's always a prayer in my mind," she said. "But this shot, I was more confident."

Added her coach: "Right when it left her hand, I knew. The rhythm was there, and they didn't need to review it; I knew she got it off in time."

Eleonora Villa had a game-high 23 points, four rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot for Washington State, which fell to 1-8 with losses that included Stanford, Oregon, Missouri and No. 5 LSU.

Hamlin is one of several freshmen learning on the fly under Cummard, the longtime BYU assistant and first-time head coach who has come to rely on his youth even more with an injury that Gibb continues to rehab.

That includes point guard Sydney Benally, who has hardly played like a first-year player herself. The former two-time Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI) champion and MVP from Albuquerque has carried a heavy load for the Cougars, averaging 29 minutes per game with 8.7 points and 5.4 assists per game.

But Benally, the reigning Big 12 freshman of the week, has handled herself as well as any first-year starter as well, Cummard noted.

"We felt really good about the group," Cummard said. "We didn't know that they would be playing as much as they are, but we didn't think they weren't going to be playing, either.

"We're just asking a lot; Syd is playing point guard the whole game against a top-20 team (in an 84-71 loss to No. 15 Vanderbilt last week). I don't think she was expecting that, either. But it's such a great experience for all of them, and they're doing awesome, taking it all in stride, and improving."

Playing alongside Hamlin, and with other young players like freshman Braeden Gunlock and sophomore Brinley Cannon, has helped — as they adapt to the speed and physicality of Division I women's basketball.

"She's the energy to our team," Benally said of Hamlin. "She brings it on defense and offense. I love her energy, and how we are able to build around her."

Added Hamlin of Benally: "Playing with Syd is really fun. She's such a high IQ player, and makes me look better and our whole team look better."

That doesn't mean things are perfect. Benally is shooting at a .278 clip, including just 21.4% from 3-point range — well below what Cummard could expect of the Gatorade New Mexico Player of the Year, he admits.

"She's a much better shooter than she's shooting right now; she knows that," he said. "That's going to continue to trickle up. But there's not a side of me that doesn't think she shouldn't shoot that shot … I think their numbers could probably be better, and those are going to improve with time.

"I'm thrilled that they're getting all of this experience, even if some of it by default. It's just going to make them better in the long run."

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