PROVO, Utah – BYU women’s basketball opened the 2024-25 season with a win over Idaho on Wednesday night in the Marriott Center.

The Cougars held off Idaho to secure a 67-62 victory.

#BYU women’s basketball opens the 2024-25 season with a 67-62 win over Idaho.

Freshman Delaney Gibb led BYU in scoring with 17 points.#BYUWBB pic.twitter.com/rpXhZaKtzQ

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) November 7, 2024

Advertisement

BYU had a 16-point halftime lead but saw it trimmed to one point in the fourth quarter.

BYU women’s basketball defeats Idaho 67-62

Freshman Delaney Gibb led BYU with a team-high 17 points in her college basketball debut. Idaho’s Hope Hassmann scored a game-high 23 points.

Along with scoring production, Gibb dished out five assists. She scored eight of her 17 points from the free-throw line, knocking down 80% of her attempts from the charity stripe.

Gibb pointed to her defense as a highlight from her debut. The Raymond, Alberta, Canada native had two blocks and one steal.

“I think what helped me out was my defense,” Gibb said. “When Amari was off, I had to pick up ball and that always gives me a lot of energy. That worked well, and then also attacking into the paint hard and drawing fouls. It’s always nice to get to the free throw line and knock down some free shots.”

Former Utah/Cal transfer Kemery Congdon was a steadying force for BYU, scoring 12 points.

Santa Clara transfer Marya Hudgins had eight points and nine rebounds to give BYU the season-opening victory.

First Quarter

BYU opened the season on a 9-0 run. Former Utah and Cal transfer Kemery Congdon scored the season’s first points on a reverse layup, then Santa Clara transfer Marya Hudgins buried the first of her two threes in the first quarter.

A total of six BYU players scored in the first period, led by senior center Emma Calvert, who scored eight points.

BYU 24, Idaho 15

Second Quarter

BYU freshman Delaney Gibb scored nine points in the second quarter, giving her a team-high total of 11 points at the half. Gibb is a heralded freshman from Canada who played in her first BYU game.

Both teams’ offense struggled to close the first half, combining for 0-of-17 to end the second quarter.

Half: BYU 42, Idaho 26

Third Quarter

The Vandals showed fight in the third quarter, outscoring BYU 19-13. BYU only shot 20% from three and committed five turnovers.

BYU 55, Idaho 45

BYU women’s basketball held off Idaho in the Fourth Quarter

Idaho cut BYU’s lead down to eight and had three possessions where they missed three-point attempts. BYU guard Marya Hudgins then knocked down a jumper with 7:50 remaining to get the lead back to double digits.

The Vandals then reeled off a 6-0 run to make it a 57-53 BYU lead.

At the 4:24 mark, BYU was 1-of-8 from the field.

BYU was up 57-55 with Idaho and the Vandals had a fastbreak layup opportunity to tie the game, but Gibb blocked the layup by Hope Hassmann.

The Cougars didn’t capitalize on the offensive end resulting in another empty possession.

Idaho’s Rosie Schweizer hit a layup under the hoop to tie the game at 57.

Gibb then went on the attack and quickly put BYU back in front with a layup of her own. But the Vandals had another answer: Anja Bukvic hit a tough shot to tie it up.

One minute later, with 1:13 remaining, Heather Hamson put BYU in front.

Idaho then burned a 30-second timeout. Out of the break, they committed a turnover, which allowed BYU to set up a play for sharpshooter Kemery Congdon, who buried a three to give BYU a five-point lead.

On the Vandals’ next possession, Hassmann knocked down a three of her own, keeping Idaho within one possession.

BYU then burned a timeout with 20 seconds left. The Vandals fouled Amari Whiting, sending her to the line, where she made only one of her two attempts.

With 17.3 seconds remaining, Idaho committed a turnover out of a timeout, and then they fouled Gibb down 65-62. Gibb knocked down both free throws.

BYU came away with the five-point victory.

Next up for BYU women’s basketball

BYU hosts Wyoming on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Marriott Center.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.

Take us with you wherever you go.

Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. It allows you to stream live radio and video and stay up to date on all of your favorite teams.

Follow @Mitch_Harper

Idaho lawmakers will see an increase in their pay from $19,913, to $25,000 per year for the next two years.

The Citizens’ Committee on Legislative Compensation unanimously approved this increase Wednesday morning at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise. 

The Idaho Senate president pro tem and Idaho House speaker will also receive an increase of an additional $5,000 per year to $5,500 per year, and minority leadership will receive an increase of an additional $2,000 to $2,500. 

The new salary structure will take effect on Dec. 1 for the next two years, unless the state Senate and House of Representatives reject or reduce the new rates by concurrent resolution within 25 days of the legislative session, which begins Jan. 6. If the new rates are rejected, the previous lower rates will remain in effect.

Costs for daily meals and travel expenses during the annual legislative session will remain covered under the new structure.

According to the Idaho Constitution, the Legislature “shall have no authority to establish the rate of its compensation and expense by law.” Rather, a citizens committee must establish the salary of Idaho lawmakers. The committee consists of six members who are not public officials – three appointed by the governor and three by the Idaho Supreme Court.

Committee rejects original proposal for 43% increase

The original request from Idaho Senate and House leadership and minority leadership sought a 43% pay increase for state lawmakers. This proposed pay rate would have boosted salaries to $37,801 in the coming year while eliminating some expense reimbursements, the Idaho Statesman reported.

On Wednesday, the committee rejected that proposal.

“I think leadership has done a great job, but I just don’t think they deserve that much more compensation,” committee member Mary Hasenoehrl said. 

At Wednesday’s hearing, three individuals voiced their opposition to the original proposal, beginning with American Action Fund Idaho field manager Sulamita Rotante. 

“A 43% pay increase for legislators during a time of historic inflation is out of touch with what Idaho people want and the conservative values we hold true. This should be a no brainer for our elected officials,” she said. “… Legislators should be focused on cutting government spending and taxes, or cutting government spending and taxes.”

Rotante also said it was “concerning” that the committee chose to meet at 8 a.m. the day after the presidential election. Committee chairman Dennis Johnson said he is aware of the inconvenience of the timing of the meeting. However, it was not an attempt to “do this in the dark of the night,” he said, but rather it met the schedules of those who are on this committee. 

Others who spoke in opposition to the proposed pay increases included Idaho Freedom Foundation policy director Niklas Kleinworth, and District 25 Idaho House Representative-elect David Leavitt.

“I believe it sends a wrong message to our taxpayers to fund lawmaker raises,” Leavitt said. “We should be focusing on saving taxpayers money.”

Idaho Senate Pro Tem Chuck Winder, R-Boise, attended the hearing virtually on Zoom. Winder, who was defeated in his May primary election and won’t be returning to the Legislature in January, defended the proposed increases, emphasizing the need to attract younger candidates and the high cost of housing in Boise.

“In Boise, housing is very difficult to obtain, and people are actually living in hotels,” Winder said.  “I can remember 10 years ago when a $100 a room was kind of the top end. Now to get a room in the downtown area or close to the capitol, you’re looking at $200 to $300 a night.”

As part of Tuesday’s conservative red wave, Republicans were poised to expand their supermajority in the Idaho Legislature based on unofficial results from the 2024 general election.

Idaho Republicans were on the verge of gaining four legislative seats and adding to the GOP’s robust supermajority. 

Idaho Democrats, meanwhile, were looking at coughing up four legislative seats and seeing their influence in Boise diminished again. 

Based on partial, unofficial election results released early Wednesday by the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office, Republicans were poised to flip Idaho Senate seats in West Boise’s Legislative District 15 and Central Idaho’s Legislative District 26. Republicans were also in position to flip Idaho House of Representatives seats in District 26 and Bannock County’s District 29.

For the past two years, Idaho Republicans controlled 87 of the 105 seats in the Idaho Legislature, while Democrats controlled 18 seats in the Idaho Legislature.

If Wednesday’s results hold, the balance of power would shift to a 91-14 advantage for the Idaho GOP. Broken down further, Republicans would control 30 seats in the Idaho Senate compared to five seats for the Democrats. Republicans would also see their influence in the Idaho House grow to a 61 to nine advantage over Democrats.

• In the District 15 Idaho Senate race, former House Rep. Codi Galloway, R-Boise, was leading incumbent Sen. Rick Just, D-Boise, by a margin of 12,414 votes to 11,089 with all 197 Ada County precincts reporting early Wednesday, according to the Ada County Elections Office. 
• In the District 26 Idaho Senate race, former Rep. Laurie Lickley, R-Jerome, was leading incumbent Sen. Ron Taylor, D-Hailey, by a margin of 7,933 votes to 7,873 with one of the three counties fully reporting, according to the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office. 
• In the District 26 Idaho House Seat A race, Republican challenger Mike Pohanka was leading incumbent Rep. Ned Burns, D-Bellevue, by a margin of 9,127 votes to 8,404 votes with one of three counties fully reporting. 
• In the District 29 Idaho House Seat B race, Republican challenger Tanya Burgoyne defeated incumbent Rep. Nate Roberts, D-Pocatello, by a margin of 11,498 votes to 10,359 votes with all Bannock County precincts reporting. 

Although it is too early to tell, losing seats in the 2024 general election could potentially cost Democrats some of the few seats they do hold on influential legislative committees such as the House State Education Committee and the House Health and Welfare Committee. Idaho legislators will convene an organizational session in early December to elect leadership positions, choose committee chairs and make committee assignments.

Election results in Idaho will not become official in Idaho until they are certified by the Idaho State Board of Canvassers on Nov. 26 in Boise.