Provo, Utah--With a 5-3 record, BYU women’s basketball plays its second-straight in-state foe this week. The Cougars battle the University of Utah (8-0) in Salt Lake City Saturday, Dec. 10, at 5:30 p.m. MT. The game will be carried live on the Pac-12 Network and can be heard live on BYU Radio on Sirius XM 143 and on the Internet.
BYU AT A GLANCE
Junior guard Cassie Broadhead is one of four players scoring in double digits for the Cougars with her team-best 14.4 points. Senior guard Makenzi Pulsipher follows with 14.3 points. Senior forward Kalani Purcell is next recording a double-double 11.9 points and a team-best 9.4 rebounds per contest. Senior guard/forward combo Kristine Nielson rounds out the scoring output for the Cougars with 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest.
As a team, BYU is scoring 64.2 points per game while shooting 42.1 percent from the field,
30.5 percent from behind the 3-point line and 64.8 percent from the charity stripe. The Cougars pull down 36.6 rebounds a game.
In this year’s WCC preseason poll chosen by the coaches, BYU, the defending regular season conference champion, was selected to finish second in the league race behind Gonzaga. Purcell and Pulsipher were named to the Preseason All-Conference team.
• Head coach: Jeff Judkins (Utah, ‘78), 16th season
• Team’s leading scorer: #20 C. Broadhead 14.4 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #32 K. Purcell, 9.4 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #32 K. Purcell, 4.9 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #23 M. Pulsipher, 2.1 spg
• Team’s blocks leader: #20 C. Broadhead, 1.3 bpg
UTAH AT A GLANCE
Utah has compiled an 8-0 record. The Utes return seven letterwinners and four starters. Last year, the team finished with an 18-15, 8-10 record including a seventh place finish in Pac-12 play. This year, the Utes are predicted to finish in eighth place in their league race.
Emily Potter is one of three players tallying double figures in points for Utah with 16.3 points and a team-best 10.1 rebounds per contest. Malia Nawahine and Tanaeya Boclair also contribute in scoring with 12.8 and 11.1 points, respectively.
The Utes are averaging 74.6 points per game while shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 70.6 percent from the free-throw line.
• Head coach: Lynne Roberts (Seattle Pacific, ‘97), Second season
• Team’s leading scorer: #12 E. Potter, 16.3 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #12 E. Potter, 10.1 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #11 E. Bean, 6.6 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #03 M. Nawahine, 1.9 spg
• Team’s blocks leader: #12 E. Potter, 3.0 bpg
THE SERIES
Utah leads the overall series 62-42. When playing in Salt Lake City, the Cougars have a 12-30 record. The last time BYU won in the Huntsman Center was on December 13, 2014, when it defeated the Utes 60-56. Last year, the two in-state rivals played in Provo where BYU picked up the 73-59 victory on December 12.
COMING UP
BYU women’s basketball continues play on the road in the state of Utah. The Cougars travel to Logan to play in-state rival Utah State on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m. The contest with the Aggies at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum can be heard live on BYU Radio.