Nora Francois’ hedge work gives Arizona women’s basketball the edge in win over BYU

The team plane hadn’t landed in Tucson yet, but Becky Burke and her staff were busy.

The Arizona women’s basketball team had just lost at Texas Tech to fall to 0-3 in Big 12 play. The Wildcats were already onto the next game. They were formulating a plan for BYU.

It involved a frenetic defense centered around forward Nora Francois’ ability to “hedge” on ball screens. When the Cougars ran a screen action, Francois would double-team the ball-handler. Her teammates would rotate. Then she’d retreat into the paint, and they’d rotate again.

The plan worked. Arizona forced 27 turnovers — including a career-high-tying five steals by Francois — in a 75-72 victory over BYU on Tuesday night at McKale Center.

The Wildcats rallied from a three-point deficit with just over a minute to play to notch their first conference victory of the season and their first under Burke, whose giddy players doused her with water in the locker room after the game.

“I’m overjoyed. I’m so excited for our group,” said Burke, whose team improved to 10-5, 1-3. “We needed this. We worked our butts off for this.”

“I’m so happy for them,” Burke added, gesturing to Francois and guards Sumayah Sugapong and Tanyuel Welch, who were seated beside her on the postgame podium.

“It’s really special. We were just talking, through the first three games of Big 12 play, we just gotta keep battling, stay the course. And when we get our first one, what that is going to do for this team to rejuvenate them and build that confidence that they can go win games if we play the way that we did today.

“Shoutout to our staff. Coach Julie (Brase Hairgrove), the game plan was absolutely phenomenal. Shoutout to them for executing it to absolute perfection.”

Much of the game plan hinged on Francois, one of 11 transfers on Arizona’s 12-player roster. The 6-2 forward spent the past three seasons at New Orleans, where she was asked to do a lot — even recording a triple-double in a game last season.

As she was getting off the team plane Saturday, Francois was asked by Burke to do something new — at least during her time at Arizona.

“She’s like, ‘Nora, do you know how to hedge?’ I was like, ‘This is my time to shine,’” Francois said. “Definitely very familiar with hard-hedging, soft-hedging. Just being prepared for that, going into practice knowing that I’m going to have my moments ... that was really the biggest adjustment.”

BYU’s 27 turnovers were the second most by a UA opponent this season; Chicago State had 30 on Dec. 15. Burke said the idea was to not let the Cougars “do what they want.”

“We are going to dictate defensively,” Burke said. “Nora hedged ball screens for 40 minutes like I’ve never seen before.”

Francois' final steal came with about 17 seconds remaining. Arizona held a 73-72 lead, and BYU’s Sydney Benally was inbounding from midcourt.

“Honestly, I read the inbounder’s eyes,” Francois said. “She was trying so hard not to look at my person. So I was like, ‘All right, it’s coming to her.’ I just got an arm up, tipped it. Thankfully, Sumayah turned around (and) secured it.”

Sugapong was fouled with 15 seconds remaining. She sank two free throws — the last of nine consecutive points by the junior guard. Sugapong made two foul shots with 2:54 left, hit a 3-pointer with 1:08 to go to tie the score at 71-71, then made four more free throws in the final 20 seconds.

The Wildcats made 30 of 33 free throws as a team. The makes were a season high, as was their success rate of 90.9%.

Sugapong went 9 for 9 at the stripe and scored a season-high 18 points. Francois had a season-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting, plus five assists, four rebounds and two blocks.

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Most of her baskets came via pick-and-roll action with point guard Noelani Cornfield, who had 10 assists before fouling out with 2:04 remaining.

“Nora was screening, rolling and posting, and we were feeding her,” Burke said. “We just kept going to what was working. That's such high IQ by our players without me having to walk them through every little thing.”

BYU (13-3, 2-2) had one last chance to tie. Brinley Cannon launched a 3-pointer from the right wing just before the final buzzer that didn’t fall. Sugapong closed out on Cannon as she was taking the shot — one of numerous hustle plays made by the Wildcats.

“They played the hardest they played all season tonight,” Burke said. “When I see our players on the floor, left and right, it fires me up.

“Our slogan is ‘Sleeves Up.’ They rolled their sleeves up, got dirty. There was no question that we played harder. BYU plays extremely hard. We played harder.”

Home-court edge

An announced crowd of 6,504, the second largest of the season, attended Tuesday’s game — not what Burke was expecting with her team sitting at 0-3 in Big 12 play.

The fans made a difference.

“After being on the road for two games, you definitely missed being at home and having those fans,” said Welch, who had 13 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. “It (doesn’t) matter what’s going on in the game. We could be down, we could be up, we could be having a bad stretch ... they really help change the momentum for us.

“We get a little stop, and they'll make it seem like we just won the championship. Little stuff like that really, really helps our team.”

Arizona has played two home games and two road games in conference play. The Wildcats lost to Utah by one point and defeated BYU in Tucson. They got blown out at Colorado and Texas Tech.

BYU coach Lee Cummard thought the noise at McKale impacted his team, especially at the foul line. The Cougars shot just 60% (15 of 25) from the stripe.

“Some of the players on our team haven't played in front of a crowd that big,” Cummard said. “It's why you want to play in the Big 12.

“If this game’s in Provo, it could be a different outcome. ... Great crowd here.”

Rim shots

– Five Wildcats scored in double figures. Guard Mickayla Perdue had 13 points. Cornfield had 10.

– Burke rode her starting five for most of the game. Six reserves combined for just 14 minutes.

– Arizona hosts UCF on Saturday. The Knights were set to face ASU in Tempe on Wednesday night.

Photos: Arizona makes a comeback late to nip BYU 75-72, Big 12 basketball