BYU COUGARS || 2-0, 0-0 Big 12 Conference
CONCLUDING THE MOUNTAIN SWING || Wednesday’s game against the Rams will be the second-consecutive home game against opponents from the Mountain West Conference. The Cougars beat the Wyoming Cowgirls 76-63 on Saturday, Nov. 9.
BIG 12 FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK || Delaney Gibb averaged 19.5 points on 55 percent shooting going 50 percent from behind the arc and 81.3 percent from the charity stripe in two games last week. Her 19.5 points ranked 6th-most among freshmen nationally. She also recorded 5.5 assists with a 1.8:1 assist-to-turnover ratio along with 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and a block en rout to freshman of the week honors.
REBOUNDING BY COMMITTEE || Last season, Lauren Gustin accounted for nearly 40 percent of all rebounds (504 of 1,294). This season, Marya Hudgins is the leading rebounder through two games, but only accounts for 20 percent of the Cougars 75 boards. In the game against Wyoming, every player that saw the floor recorded at least one rebound with five of nine players grabbing three or more rebounds.
RUN-AND-GUN || With a virtually new roster, the Cougars have also retooled their offensive approach this summer to a four- and five-out system built on playing with pace, space and casting from behind the arc.
SHARING THE ROCK || The Cougars have assisted on 33 of 54 (.611) made field goals this season and have had at least three players finish in double-figures in each game this season. This continues the trend of sharing the love as BYU recorded 504 assists on 796 (.636) made field goals last season.
Head Coach – Amber Whiting
- Alma Mater: BYU, 2001
- Division I Career Record: 34-34 || 3rd Season
- Record at BYU: 34-34 || 3rd Season
COLORADO STATE RAMS || 2-0, 0-0 Mountain West
THE OTHER MWC PRESEASON CO-PLAYER OF THE YEAR || The Cougars will face the MWC Co-Preseason Player of the Year for the second-straight game in Emma Ronsiek. In her first two games with Colorado State, she claimed the first MWC Player of the Week honor after averaging 22.0 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game to lead Colorado State to a pair of wins, including a 65-59 victory over Oregon State. The elder of the two Ronsiek sisters was the Rams’ leading scorer in both games and ranks first or tied for first in the league in points per game, total field goal makes (15) and assist-to-turnover ratio (9.00).
TWO RONSIEKS IN THE KITCHEN || Sisters Emma and Hannah Ronsiek have been cooking defenses as they have led the Rams in scoring in each game this season. The duo combined to score 50 of Colorado State’s 65 points in the Rams’ win over Oregon State. Emma finished with 26 and Hannah scored 24. The sisters went a combined 10-20 from behind the arc. In total, the Ronsiek sisters have scored 81 of Colorado State’s 117 points, 69.2 percent of the Rams' production.
VALUING THE BASKETBALL || The Rams have led the nation in fewest turnovers per game in each of the last two seasons, coughing it up only 9.1 times per game in 2023-24. Despite the new-look roster, that trait seems to have been passed down to this year’s squad as the Rams are giving up an average of just 5.5 turnovers per game, second in the nation and top in the Mountain West.
RETURNING TO WHERE IT STARTED || Amber Whiting’s first game at the helm of the BYU program came in an 82-62 defeat in Fort Collins on Nov. 8, 2022, at the hands of Colorado State. After two full seasons under her belt, the now two-year veteran head coach looks to right the ship against the Rams and increase her record to 35-34 in her career.
Head Coach – Ryun Williams
- Alma Mater: South Dakota, 1992
- Division I Career Record: 492-292 || 27th Season
- Record at Colorado State: 234-139 || 13th Season
