Big 12 tournament roundup: UCF bounces BYU

Field Level Media|published: Wed 5th March, 22:32 2025

UCF Knights guard Kaitlin Peterson (3) moves around Oklahoma Sooners forward Kiersten Johnson (5) during the second half of an NCAA Women's Basketball game at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. Oklahoma won 69-52.

Kaitlin Peterson scored 25 of her game-high 35 points in the second half and UCF dismissed BYU from the Big 12 Women's Championship tournament on Wednesday afternoon in Kansas City, Mo.

BYU entered the fourth quarter clinging to a one-point lead but couldn't contain Peterson, who put the game out of reach with 13 points in the final 10 minutes.

After the Cougars claimed the lead 56-55 with 40 seconds left in the third quarter, Peterson took over. She drilled a 3, opened the fourth with a pair of free throws, tacked on another from long distance and prompted a Cougars timeout with a steal and layup that made it a 66-57 advantage with 8:02 to play.

The No. 13 seed Knights (12-17, 4-14) advance to play Kansas State on Thursday. The No. 4 seed Wildcats (25-6, 13-5) had a first-round bye. Kansas State beat UCF 97-67 on Feb. 15.

Colorado 66, Houston 58

Lior Garzon scored 21 points as the ninth-seeded Buffaloes cruised past the 16th-seeded Cougars in Kansas City, Mo.

Jade Masogayo added 14 points for Colorado (19-11), which advances to oppose eighth-seeded Arizona on Thursday. The Buffaloes shot 44.9 percent from the floor but finished with a 48-22 rebounding edge.

Laila Blair led Houston (5-25, 1-17) with 15 points. Gigi Cooke had 13, Eylia Love 11 and Leilani Augmon 10 as the Cougars ended the season with 13 consecutive losses.

--Field Level Media