Cougars travel to Tucson to take on Arizona on Wednesday

PROVO, Utah — The Cougars look to win two-straight games as they take on the Arizona Wildcats at the McKale Center in Tucson on Wednesday, Feb. 19. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. MT with the game streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast live with Jason Shepherd on BYU Radio, byuradio.org and the BYU Radio App. 

Matchup Breakdown
BYU and Arizona kicked off the conference season on Dec. 21 as the Cougars fell to the Wildcats 57-54 in Provo in their first matchup as Big 12 foes. The last time BYU visited the McKale Center was on Nov. 20, 2012, as the Cougars knocked off the hometown Cats 62-48.

The last time BYU and Arizona faced off as conference opponents in Tucson, the Cougars clawed out an 89-86 win over the Wildcats. Tina Gunn Robison led the Cougars with a 33-point, 14-rebound double-double. Jeanette Weston also recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds while Rosemary Jensen contributed 11 points and nine boards. 

All-Time: 7-7

At Arizona: 3-3

Whiting vs. Arizona: 0-1

BYU Cougars  ||  13-12, 4-10  ||  Big 12 Conference

WHAT'S AT STAKE  ||  With a win, BYU would snap a two-game skid to the Wildcats, having lost the first match-up this season 57-53 in Provo. The Cougars are coming off their first top-25 win of the season as they took down then No. 20 Oklahoma State 68-64.

FACING FAMILIAR FOES  ||  Wednesday’s match-up with Arizona is the Cougars’ first repeat opponent this season. BYU played in six rematches last season and holds a 2-4 record in Big 12 conference rematches.

VALUING THE BASKETBALL  ||  Ball security is crucial for BYU. In Big 12 play, the Cougars have committed 18.6 turnovers and opponents have scored 19.1 points off giveaways per game. In wins this season, BYU only coughs it up 14.8 times and surrenders 12.8 points off turnovers. In losses, BYU averages 19.1 giveaways and 19.3 points given up.

FINISHING POSSESSIONS  ||  Crashing the defensive glass has been a point of emphasis for Whiting’s squad. BYU has given up 11.9 offensive boards and 13.4 second-chance points in Big 12 games. In their four conference wins over Houston, ASU, UCF and Oklahoma State, BYU only surrendered 10 O-boards and 9.3 second-chance points.

REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING  ||  Delaney Gibb was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week for the eighth time on Monday, tying Baylor’s Darianna Littlepage-Buggs for second-most in conference history. The freshman has scored over 14 points in 21-of-25 games this year including eight games of 20 or more. Gibb leads BYU in scoring at 16.9 points per game on 45.6 percent shooting and 39.7 percent from deep. The Canada native averages 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals.

SECOND-QUARTER BLUES  ||  Since the beginning of conference play, the Cougars have struggled in the second quarter. BYU has lost the second quarter in 8-of-14 Big 12 games by an average of 2.7 points, being outscored 18.7-16.0. The Cougs are 0-8 when they drop the second in Big 12 play. Against Oklahoma State, the Cougars won the second by six, ultimately winning 68-64.

Head Coach – Amber Whiting

• Alma Mater: BYU, 2001
• Division I Career Record: 45-46  ||  3rd Season
• Record at BYU: 45-46  ||  3rd Season

Arizona Wildcats  ||  15-12, 6-8  ||  Big 12 Conference

MCKALE MAGIC || The Wildcats are a different team when playing in the friendly confines of the McKale Memorial Center. Arizona is 10-5 at home this season and averages 71.4 points per game to 64.6 in road contests. 

The Wildcats also shoot a full 3.0 percent better from the floor and 5.2 percent better from three at McKale. The U of A has five players who average at least 10.1 points per game at home in contrast to just two who score in double figures in road contests. 

CUNNINGHAM WAS COOKIN'  ||  Breya Cunningham was the leading scorer for the Cats in their 57-53 win over BYU in Provo on Dec. 21. The 6-foot-4 forward scored 21 points on an efficient 10-of-15 shooting while pulling down eight rebounds to lead Arizona. In the win, Cunningham also recorded two blocks, two steals and an assist. 

“LIL BULLET" WILLIAMS  ||  Jada Williams leads Arizona is scoring at 12.5 points per game on 36.1 percent shooting from the field, but just 27.1 percent from behind the arc. The sophomore guard does a lot of her damage from the foul line as she leads the Wildcats in free throws attempted and made while shooting 86.7 percent from the charity stripe. 

She also leads the U of A in assists and steals at 3.0 and 1.8, respectively.  Williams scored 11 points in the first meeting between the Cats and Cougars.

Head Coach – Adia Barnes

• Alma Mater: Arizona, 2000
• Career Record: 165-112  ||  9th Season
• Record at Baylor: 165-112  ||  9th Season