BYU women drop back-to-back after Amari Whiting's 1st double-double for Oklahoma State

PROVO — BYU coach Lee Cummard has known Amari Whiting for years, so his video sessions scouting a fringe top 25 team in Oklahoma State were plenty familiar.

The former BYU guard transferred to Stillwater in the offseason — more on that in a moment — and was facing her former team for the first time since parting ways last April.

Cummard was diplomatic when asked about the BYU transfer earlier this week, wishing her all the best. With one obvious exception, naturally.

"Amari's a tremendous player who is having a very good season on a team that's been ranked a couple of times this year and can really make some noise in this league," he said. "Truthfully, as somebody who has known her a long time, I want to see her excel to the utmost. Just not on Wednesday."

No such luck, coach.

Whiting totaled 16 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and three blocks for her first double-double of the season; and Micah Gray poured in a game-high 25 points as Oklahoma State used a 20-3 second-quarter run to cruise to a 67-51 win over BYU at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Kambree Barber posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds to lead BYU (15-6, 4-5 Big 12), and freshman teammate Olivia Hamlin scored 11 in rare back-to-back losses for BYU.

It's the first time in Cummard's inaugural season the team has lost consecutive games.

Delaney Gibb finished with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals for the Cougars.

But Wednesday's mid-week tilt was special for Whiting, the former BYU guard who graduated from Timpview High and transferred within days of the program parting ways with her mother, former coach Amber Whiting.

Once the elder Whiting — the former Snow College, Weber State and BYU guard from Ogden who compiled a 45-51 record in three seasons at her alma mater — was let go, Amari admitted there was no reason for her to stay at BYU.

"I was there because of her," Whiting told Oklahoma State athletics. "When she left, I didn't see why I was still there."

Once Amari Whiting was in the transfer portal, Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt knew what she could add to her roster: a fourth double-digit scorer to boost the No. 1 offense in the Big 12 that averages 75.3 points per game.

She's also a standout defender, which was on full display Wednesday as she guarded Gibb one-on-one several times and helped hold the reigning Big 12 freshman of the year to 4-of-18 shooting including 1-of-7 from 3-point range.

"We're in this gauntlet five straight teams that are currently above us in the Big 12 standings," Cummard said before the Cougars lost for the third time in four games, including to a pair of top-25 opponents. "We're not going to focus on Saturday; we're right here. Oklahoma State is another team that is above us, and it's a tough run. We've played some really good teams, and hopefully some growth is coming from that. But they are a tremendous team in their ability to score the basketball. They share it so well.

"We're not in the WCC anymore where we have an A, B or C coming in where maybe we can sleep walk and win with this group," he added. "We've got our work cut out for us with a tremendous team that is well coached and has some great players."

The Cougars showed they can hang with those teams, too, at least to start the game.

BYU connected on 8-of-17 shots early, including 4-of-5 during a 7-0 that Gibb capped with a transition layup to take a 19-12 advantage with two minutes left in the first quarter.

The Cougars had 9 points off eight turnovers en route to a 25-19 advantage at the quarter break as Barber banged in three 3-pointers in the opening period.

Gray scored 11 as the Cowgirls (17-5, 6-3 Big 12) opened the second quarter on a 17-2 run, and Whiting pushed the lead to 33-27 with a 3-pointer with 5:41 left in the half.

Oklahoma State held BYU to 1-of-13 shooting in the second quarter, outrebounding the Cougars 27-18 with 11 turnovers, five blocks and four steals en route to a 39-29 at halftime. Whiting had 5 points, six rebounds and three stuffs in 18 minutes before the break.

Gibb converted a fastbreak layup to pull BYU within 57-45 just over a minute into the fourth quarter.

But Whiting responded with an and-one play in the paint a minute later, and Oklahoma State used a 10-0 run to pull away for good.

BYU returns home to host in-state rival Utah on Saturday (2 p.m. MST, ESPN+) before hitting the road for back-to-back Sunflower State showdowns at Kansas and Kansas State.

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