This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Austin, Texas • The first half of the final game of BYU senior Lexi Rydalch's phenomenal career went about as well as could be expected.
The second half, not so much.
Rydalch hit her first three shots, and had 15 points in the first half of an eventual 78-69 loss to Missouri. In the second half, she took just five shots and scored just seven points.
"They tried to deny me and not let me get the ball, and used their length," Rydalch said of Missouri's defense in the third and fourth quarters. "It hurt that I got in foul trouble, too. That's always tough to play with."
Rydalch eventually fouled out with just over a minute remaining, heading to the bench for the final time with 22 points, one rebound and one assist.
So the second-leading scorer in BYU women's basketball history, and the leading scorer in West Coast Conference history, goes out with 2,535 points and leaves a legacy as one of the best players ever at BYU, coach Jeff Judkins said.
"Well, it is just too bad we don't play pro rules, because if we did, she'd score 40," Judkins said. "You kind of saw it tonight in the first half — they couldn't guard her one-on-one."
The Cougars just didn't have a strong inside presence, someone to dump the ball off to after drives, and Missouri made them pay for that time and again with double teams on Rydalch.
All in all, though, the Springville High product said she wouldn't trade a minute of her time at BYU.
"It has been incredible," Rydalch said. "I've loved my time at BYU, just the experiences I have been able to have, the growth I've been able to have in all areas of life. I owe a lot to BYU, and hopefully I made my mark and set some kind of an example. I am very grateful for my time there."
Twitter: @drewjay