Amari Whiting Shines Against Former Team as Oklahoma State Tops BYU in Big 12 Clash
When Amari Whiting stepped onto the floor at Gallagher-Iba Arena Wednesday night, it wasn’t just another conference game. It was personal. The former BYU guard was facing her old team for the first time since transferring to Oklahoma State in the offseason-a move that followed the departure of her mother, Amber Whiting, as BYU’s head coach.
And Amari made sure her presence was felt.
The sophomore guard delivered her most complete performance of the season, posting a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double along with two assists and three blocks as Oklahoma State rolled past BYU, 67-51. It was a statement night for Whiting, not just emotionally, but on both ends of the floor.
“She’s having a really good year on a team that’s been ranked and can do some damage in this league,” BYU interim head coach Lee Cummard said earlier in the week. “I want to see her excel-just not against us.”
Fair enough, coach. But Whiting had other plans.
The Cowgirls blew the game open with a dominant 20-3 run in the second quarter, fueled by a two-way clinic from Whiting and a scoring outburst from Micah Gray, who led all scorers with 25 points. BYU had no answer for the Cowgirls’ offensive rhythm or their defensive pressure during that stretch, and the game slipped away before halftime.
To BYU’s credit, the Cougars came out swinging. They knocked down 8 of their first 17 shots and jumped out to a 19-12 lead late in the first quarter behind a 7-0 run capped by a Delaney Gibb transition layup. Kambree Barber was hot early, drilling three triples in the opening period and finishing with a double-double of her own-13 points and 11 rebounds.
BYU led 25-19 after the first quarter and looked poised to hang with one of the Big 12’s most explosive offenses. But then came the second quarter.
Oklahoma State turned up the intensity and the Cougars couldn’t keep pace. BYU shot just 1-of-13 in the second frame, and the Cowgirls took full advantage.
They dominated the glass, forced turnovers, and got contributions from all over the court. At halftime, it was 39-29 Oklahoma State, with Whiting already stuffing the stat sheet-five points, six boards, and three blocks in just 18 first-half minutes.
Whiting’s defensive work was just as impactful as her scoring. She was often matched up with Gibb, last year’s Big 12 Freshman of the Year, and held her to a tough 4-of-18 shooting night, including just 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. It was a gritty, locked-in performance that showed exactly why Oklahoma State head coach Jacie Hoyt was eager to add her to the roster.
“She’s a fourth double-digit scorer for us,” Hoyt said earlier this season. “But she also brings a defensive edge that we need.”
That edge was on display all night. And when BYU made one last push early in the fourth-cutting the lead to 57-45 on a Gibb layup-Whiting responded with a strong and-one finish in the paint. That sparked a 10-0 Cowgirls run that put the game out of reach for good.
Freshman Olivia Hamlin added 11 points for BYU, and Gibb finished with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals despite the tough shooting night. But the Cougars couldn’t overcome Oklahoma State’s second-quarter surge or the balanced attack that followed.
For BYU, the loss was their third in four games-a tough stretch that includes matchups against multiple top-25 opponents. Cummard acknowledged the grind of Big 12 play, especially compared to the WCC slate the Cougars were used to before joining the conference.
“We’re not in the WCC anymore where you can sleepwalk through a few games and still come out with wins,” he said. “This league is stacked. Every night is a battle.”
That battle continues Saturday when BYU hosts in-state rival Utah before heading out for a tough road swing through Kansas and Kansas State.
But for now, Wednesday belonged to Amari Whiting. A homecoming of sorts-just not the kind BYU was hoping for.