BYU Cougars (14-11, 4-8 Big 12 Conference)
PLAYER/FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK SWEEP: Lauren Gustin (player) and Amari Whiting (freshman) swept the Big 12 women's basketball weekly awards after knocking off No. 18 Baylor and Cincinnati to go 2-0 on the week.
In the win over Baylor, Whiting flirted with the first triple-double in BYU women’s basketball history with 14 points, nine assists and eight rebounds while Gustin scored 23 points while pulling down 16 boards in the win. Each scored in double-figures as the Cougars took down the Bearcats on Saturday, Gustin with 21 points and 20 rebounds while Whiting scored 10 points with seven rebounds, two assists and a block in the win over Cincinnati.
LIGHTING IT UP FROM DEEP...AGAIN: The Cougars shot a blistering 47.5 percent from the floor and 38.9 percent from three in non-conference play, a top-10 mark in the country, and top-2 in the Big 12. In the first six games of conference play, BYU struggled from downtown, shooting 34.6 percent dropping as low as seventh in the conference in three-point percentage. Over the past six games, the Cougars have righted the ship, going 46-for-110 (.418) from behind the loop to lead the conference at 37.9 percent during Big 12 play (92-of-243).
MAGIC NUMBER...66 POINTS OR LESS: Coach Whiting prides her team on their ability to defend. Her defense has held opponents to 65.4 points per game while holding 14 of 25 opponents to 66 or fewer points. The Cougars are 13-1 in such games, including their upset of No. 18 Baylor.
THE MORE YOU SCORE, THE MORE YOU WIN: Last year, BYU scored more than 65 points in 15 of 33 games and garnered a 12-3 record when doing so. This season, the Cougars have exceeded the 65-point threshold in 19 of their first 25 games and hold a 12-7 record when scoring 65 or more.
Head Coach – Amber Whiting
- Alma Mater: BYU, 2001
- Division I Career Record: 30-28 (2nd Season)
- Record at BYU: 30-28 (2nd Season)
UCF (12-10, 4-7 Big 12 Conference)
PETERSON IS POURING IT IN: Kaitlin Peterson is the player to watch for the Knights as she is scoring 20.3 points per game this season which is the second-highest scoring average in the Big 12. The junior has taken 164 more shots than anyone on UCF's team, going 38.3 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from behind the arc while grabbing four rebounds and dishing 1.5 assists per game.
50'S THE MAGIC NUMBER: The Knights are 4-0 when holding teams under 50 points this season, however, they have yet to keep a Big 12 team below the 50-point threshold.
TURNOVER BATTLE: UCF is only the second Big 12 team to commit more turnovers per game (18.73) than the Cougars (17.7). The Cougars turnover the rock 15.6 times per game and have given up 19.4 points off turnovers per game in conference play.
Head Coach – Sytia Messer
- Alma Mater: Arkansas, 2000
- Division I Career Record: 80-66 (5th Season)
- Record at UCF: 26-25 (2nd Season)
