PROVO, Utah—With an 8-3 record at the conclusion of its nonconference portion of the 2015-16 season, BYU women’s basketball is ready to compete for a West Coast Conference title.
The Cougar women open up WCC play on the road at San Diego (10-1) on Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 1 p.m. PT., from Jenny Craig Pavilion.
ABOUT BYU
Entering the first week of WCC action, BYU has three players that are scoring in double figures. All-American senior guard Lexi Eaton Rydalch leads the way with 23.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Junior Makenzi Morrison Pulsipher follows with 11.5 points. All-American Kalani Purcell, a junior college transfer from Hutchinson Community College and Hamilton, New Zealand, is the third player scoring in double digits with 10.3 points and with a team best 12.1 rebounds is averaging a double-double.
The Cougars are scoring 67.9 points per game, shooting 42 percent from the field, 69 percent from the free throw line and 38 percent from 3-point range. BYU is holding opponents to 59.3 points per game.
• Head coach: Jeff Judkins (Utah, ‘78) 15th season
• Team’s leading scorer: #21 L. Eaton Rydalch, 23.4 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #32 K. Purcell, 12.1 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #32 K. Purcell, 3.8 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #23 M. Morrison Pulsipher, 1.9 spg
• Team’s blocks leader: #32, K. Purcell, .64 bpg
ABOUT SAN DIEGO
The San Diego Toreros enter WCC action with a 10-1, 0-0 record and are 5-1 at home.
San Diego returns 10 letterwinners including three starters from a team that compiled a 25-7 record and finished second in the conference with a 14-4 mark. The Toreros advanced to the second round of the postseason WNIT.
Sisters Malina and Maya Hood lead San Diego scoring averaging 21.6 and 14.9 points per game, respectively. Maya Hood ranks first in the rebound category pulling down 8.3 boards a contest.
The Toreros are scoring 72.7 points per game while shooting 44 percent from the field, 78 percent from the free throw line and 35 percent from behind the arc. They are holding opponents to just 57.6 points a game.
• Head coach: Cindy Fisher, ninth year
• Team’s leading scorer: #11 Malina Hood, 21.6 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #22 Maya Hood, 8.3 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #32 C. Woodward, 4.6 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #11 Malina Hood, 2.3 spg
• Team’s blocks leader: #11 Malina Hood and #44 S. Williams, .72 bpg
Series History
BYU leads the series 8-2 over SD. In last year’s WCC games, each team won on its home court. In the game in Provo on Jan. 24, the Cougars picked up the 55-50 win. Then in the contest played in San Diego on Feb. 21, the Toreros recorded the 69-59 victory.
When playing in San Diego, BYU has a 2-2 record. The last time they won at Jenny Craig Pavilion was on Jan. 10, 2013, a three-point 57-54 overtime victory.
Up Next
The Cougar women take a couple of days off for the Christmas break and return to action on Thursday, Dec. 31, when they host WCC foe Saint Mary’s at 1 p.m. Pacific is in Provo on Saturday, Jan. 2 at 2 p.m. Both league games can be seen live on BYUtv.