Women's Basketball Opens Pac-12 Action Thursday
THE GAME
The University of Utah women's basketball team opens Pac-12 play on Thursday night when it hosts the Golden Bears of California. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. MT from the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
THURSDAY'S MATCHUP
Date | Time: Thursday, Jan. 13 | 7 p.m. (MT)
Utah (8-3, 0-0 Pac-12) vs. California (9-4, 0-2 Pac-12)
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah | Jon M. Huntsman Center
Live Stats: Click Here
Live Audio: Click Here
TV/Stream: Pac-12 Networks
GAME DAY PROMOTION
Fans, it's Black Mode at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on Thursday. Fans who wear BLACK will receive FREE admission into the California game. The first 200 fans will receive an Under Armour Utah Beanie.
HOW TO TUNE IN
The game against California will be aired on ESPN700 with Tyson Ewing and Milee Enger calling the shots, or you can find the game on the Pac-12 Networks with Krista Blunk and Amanda Smith on the call. Live Stats can be found at UtahUtes.com.
OPENING TIP
• Utah opens Pac-12 play open on Thursday night in Salt Lake City. Utah brings the top-scoring offense in the conference into the contest. Utah is averaging 85.4 points per game, the third-most in the nation, and is the only school in the Pac-12 in the top 20.
• For the third straight game, the Utes had a player record a double-double. At Oklahoma, sophomore Peyton McFarland came off the bench and picked up her first double-double of the season by scoring 14 points and collecting a career-high 11 rebounds. In the previous two games for Utah, Jenna Johnson recorded a double-double.
• Head Coach Lynne Roberts has won 99 games as a Ute. She is looking to become the third coach in Utah history to pick up 100 wins leading the Utes.
• Sharing is caring! Utah leads the Pac-12 in assists (210) and assists per game (19.1). Utah also leads the Pac-12 in Assist to turnover ratio (1.36). In each of those three categories, Utah ranks in the top 20 in the nation. The Utes have tallied an assist on 62 percent of their field goals.
• Utah has hit eight or more threes in 70 games under the direction of Lynne Roberts, going 51-19 in those games. Utah has made ten or more threes in six games this season. Utah is averaging 10.8 made three-pointers per game and have made 119 on the season. Both of those lead the Pac-12.
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2021-22 season are now available. Floor seats are priced at $100 while general admission tickets at $25. Call the Utah ticket office at 801-581-UTIX or visit www.UtahTickets.com.
MASK MANDATE IN THE JON M. HUNTSMAN CENTER
The University of Utah has issued a campus mask order consistent with the Salt Lake County mask order that went into effect on Jan. 8. All people are required to wear well-fitting masks indoors on-campus, which applies to all Utah Athletics events that take place in the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
POSTGAME MEET AND GREET
With the rise in COVID-19 cases in the state of Utah, the athletics department will not be holding postgame meet and greet opportunities with student-athletes.
TEAM NOTES
• Utah has hit eight or more threes in 70 games under the direction of Lynne Roberts, going 51-19 in those games. Utah has made 8+ threes in seven games this season, including five with 10+ (19 vs. Lipscomb, 11/10, 14 vs. Xavier, 11/13, 12 at Hawaii, 11/27, 16 vs. Eastern Illinois, 11/28, 12 vs. BYU, 12/4, 15 vs. Cal State Fullerton, 12/10).
• Utah is averaging 85.4 points per game this season, the third-most in the nation. This is the best scoring offense in the Pac-12. Utah is first in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage, shooting 46.9 percent. The field goal percentage is the ninth-best mark in the nation.
• Coming off the bench at Oklahoma, sophomore Peyton McFarland tallied her first double-double of the season. She scored 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. It is the third straight game for the Utes to record a double-double.
• Freshman Gianna Kneepkens collected her second Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors of the season on Dec. 27. Against Oklahoma on Dec. 21, Kneepkens went for a game-high 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting. She also collected five rebounds and a steal against the Sooners. She has led the team in scoring in three games this season.
• The Utes continue to shine from behind the arc this season. Utah is making 10.8 threes per game, the third-most in the nation. They have made 119 three-pointers this season, the 27th most. Eleven of Utah's 13 players have made a three-pointer. The Utes lead the Pac-12 in made three-pointers and three-pointers per game.
• Utah opened the season with back-to-back 100-point games. This was the second time in program history that Utah scored 100 or more in back-to-back games. The first time this happened was during the 1978-79 season.
• The Ute's rank seventh in the nation in assists per game (19.1) and ninth in the NCAA in assists to turnover ratio (1.36). The Utes offense has assisted on 62 percent of their made field goals this season. Leading the team in assists is Dru Gylten with 67.
• Head Coach Lynne Roberts is looking for her 100th career win as a Ute. She has won her 99th victory at Utah over Utah Valley. Only two other coaches, Elaine Elliott and Fern Gardner have surpassed the 100 wins mark at Utah. Coach Elliott won 582 games as a Ute, while Coach Gardner won 174.
• Brynna Maxwell continues to shine for the Utes. She is one of the best three-pointer shooters in the country. She leads the team in made threes this season with 32, the second-best mark in the Pac-12. Over her three years, Maxwell has made 158 threes, which is the ninth most in program history.
NEXT UP
Following the contest against California, Utah hosts the Cardinal of Stanford University on Sunday, Jan. 16th. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m. MT and can be seen on the Pac-12 Networks or by turning on ESPN700 and hear Tyson Ewing on the call.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along during the 2021-22 season on social media (Twitter: @UtahWBB | Instagram: @UtahWBB | Facebook: Facebook.com/UtahWBB).