by PROVO, Utah — Sydney Benally came off the bench to score 8 points as BYU opened the 2026-27 season with a 67-50 win over Idaho State on Tuesday night at the Marriott Center.
Benally played 21 minutes and shot 3-of-5 from the field, including 2-of-4 from three-point range, and added 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in the Cougars’ season-opening victory.
BYU trailed 16-11 after the first quarter before taking control in the second, outscoring the Bengals 14-8 to carry a 25-24 lead into halftime. The Cougars then pulled away with a 23-13 third quarter and closed it out 19-13 in the fourth.
Delaney Gibb led BYU with 17 points, while Olivia Hamlin added 9 and Mariam Traore scored 8. The Cougars shot their way out of the early hole after a slow start, holding Idaho State to 13 points in each of the final two quarters.
Benally, a sophomore guard from Sandia High School in Albuquerque, picked up where she left off after a strong exhibition showing, giving BYU a spark off the bench in her regular-season debut as a sophomore.
BYU (1-0) stays home to host Portland on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. MT at the Marriott Center.
