Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Eastern Kentucky on March 19, 2026 , Loss , 58, to, 72
Final Score
Women's Basketball
58
at Eastern Kentucky
72
The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Women's Basketball To Compete in MWC Tourney
3/5/2001 12:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 5, 2001
Salt Lake City - COMING UP: No. 13/14 ranked Utah (25-2, 14-0 MWC) will travel to Las Vegas, Nev. to compete in the EAS Mountain West Conference women's basketball tournament, on Mar. 7-10.
MWC TOURNAMENT: The EAS Mountain West Conference Tournament will take place Mar. 7-10, in Las Vegas, Nev. On Wed., Mar. 7, the action kicks-off with No. 3 seed New Mexico (17-11, 8-6) and No. 6 seed San Diego State (13-14, 6-9) at 12:00 p.m. At 2:30 p.m., No. 2 seed Colorado State (21-6, 10-4) takes on No. 7 seed Wyoming (11-16, 3-11). No. 4 seed Brigham Young (16-11, 8-6) and No. 5 seed UNLV (18-8, 8-6) will match-up at 6:00 p.m., while No. 1 seed Utah (25-2, 14-0) and No. 8 seed Air Force (3-24, 0-14) play at 8:30 p.m. On Fri., Mar. 9, the winner of the New Mexico/San Diego State game will face the winner of the Colorado State/Wyoming game at 12:00 p.m. At 2:30 p.m., the winner of the Brigham Young/UNLV game will face the winner of the Utah/Air Force game. The Mountain West Conference will crown its basketball champion Sat., Mar. 10 at 9:30 p.m. ESPN2 will televise the championship match live from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
MEDIA INFORMATION
TEAM TRAVEL: The Utah team will depart Salt Lake City on Tues., Mar. 6 at 9:10 a.m. (Southwest #907), and arrive in Las Vegas, Nev., at 9:25 a.m. The Utes are scheduled to return on Sun., Mar. 11, departing Las Vegas, Nev., at 8:10 a.m. (Southwest #327), and arriving in Salt Lake City at 10:25 a.m.
TEAM HEADQUARTERS: The Utah traveling party will stay at the Courtyard By Marriott, (2800 N. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson, Nev. 89014). Phone: (702) 434-4700. Fax: (702) 434-3888. Utah Assistant SID Julie Lapomarda will be accompanying the team.
PRACTICE SCHEDULE: Tuesday's (Mar. 6) practice from 2:00-2:55 p.m. will be open to the media. The Utes will have a closed practice on Thurs., Mar. 8 from 5:30-6:55 p.m. Utah players and head coach Elaine Elliott will be available for interviews before and after practice on Tuesday only.
DIRECTIONS: The Thomas & Mack Center is located at the corner of Tropicana and Swenson Avenues on the campus of UNLV. Please note that Swenson Avenue is one-way traffic to the north. When approaching from the north, head south on Paradise Road to Tropicana and then east to access Swenson Avenue.
POST-GAME INTERVIEWS: The Utah lockerroom will be open 10 minutes after the cooling-off period has concluded. Ute head coach Elaine Elliott and at least two players will be available in the interview room. The losing team will go first, followed by the winning team.
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS:
Tournament Manager: Michelle Perry, MWC Asst. Commissioner Phone: (719) 488-4044 Fax: (719) 487-7241 Cell: (719) 339-1624 Media Coordinator: Bob Burda, MWC Asst. Commissioner Phone: (719) 488-4046 Fax: (719) 487-7241 Las Vegas Managing Director: Rob Nelson Phone: (702) 895-1518 Cell: (702) 525-8658 Thomas & Mack Center Press Row: (702) 895-4600
UTES LIVE ON KALL-910 AM: The Utes' games in the MWC Tournament (Mar. 7-10) can be heard live on KALL-910 AM.
UTES LIVE ON THE INTERNET: The Utes' games in the MWC Tournament (Mar. 7-10) can be heard live by accessing the Utah website at www.UtahUtes.com.
UTES ON TV: The WB 30 will televise Utah's quarterfinal game live from the Thomas & Mack Center on Wed., Mar. 7th at 9:30 p.m. Utah's game on Fri., Mar. 9, will be tape delayed and aired at 9:00 p.m. on the WB 30. Saturday's championship game will be televised live on ESPN2. Please note: WB 30 is Channel 30 (over the air) and Channel 12 (cable). All times are Mountain Time.
Dave McCann or Tom Kirkland will handle the play-by-play and Kathy Aiken will provide color analysis for the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of the tournament. Jimmy Dykes will handle the play-by-play for the championship game and Beth Mowins will provide color analysis.
A QUICK LOOK AT UTAH: The No. 13/14 ranked University of Utah women's basketball team wrapped up MWC play with a 64-59 win over New Mexico, on Sat., Mar. 3, at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. The win marked the second time in school history that the Utes went undefeated in conference play. The first time they went undefeated in conference play was in 1976-77, when Utah was a perfect 13-0 under former head coach Fern Gardner.
The 2000-2001 Utes have reached 20 wins faster than any other team in Elliott's tenure. The Utes are one of three teams ranked in the Top 25 poll (Utah, Louisiana Tech and Tennessee) and one of eight teams in the country that are unbeaten in conference play. Utah is currently on a 14-game win streak and a seven-game home win streak.
The Utes are currently 25-2 overall, and a perfect 14-0 in MWC play. The Utes' 11-0 start was the second best since the 1997-98 season when the Utes opened their schedule with a 16-game win-streak.
Utah received 488 points for a No. 13 ranking in the Feb. 25th Associated Press poll, and received 465 points for a No. 14 ranking in the Feb. 25th USA Today/ESPN poll. Utah broke into the national rankings (25th in the Associated Press Top 25 poll) for the first time this season on Mon., Dec. 18. The Utes have been ranked or received votes in the Top 25 in at least one of the two polls for 18 consecutive weeks.
Utah's latest (3-4-01) RPI ranking, produced by the 2001 Collegiate Basketball News Co., was 9th out of 316 teams. The Mountain West Conference was 7th out of 32 conferences.
SERIES SHORTS: Utah leads the series with Air Force, 7-0. The Utes defeated the Falcons, 80-33, in their last meeting on Thurs., Mar. 1, 2001, in Salt Lake City. Utah is 3-0 at home, 3-0 away and 1-0 at a neutral site vs. Air Force.
INJURY REPORT: Sophomore guard Sarah Wobbe injured her left knee trying to catch a pass, when she got tangled with a Hawkeye defender in the Iowa game on Sun., Nov. 19. After undergoing an MRI on Nov. 27, it has been determined that Wobbe will be out for the rest of the season. She had ligament reconstruction surgery over the holiday break and will sit out the rest of the season to recover.
QUOTING ELLIOTT: On the upcoming MWC Tournament: "The Mountain West Conference Tournament will be our next test and challenge. We need to continue to be focused and ready to play. Every team we face will be competitive and I would expect nothing less this time around. I'll be expecting some good games from our team, as well as our opponents."
UP NEXT: The Utes will vie for their second-straight MWC tournament championship on Mar. 7-10, in Las Vegas, Nev. On Mar. 16-19, Utah will await the chance to host the NCAA Women's Basketball 1st & 2nd Round Tournament.
NEW MEXICO GAME RECAP: The No. 13/14 ranked University of Utah women's basketball team wrapped up MWC play with a 64-59 win over New Mexico, on Sat., Mar. 3, at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. The win marked the second time in school history the Utes went undefeated in conference play. The first time they went undefeated in conference play was in 1976-77, when Utah was a perfect 13-0 under former head coach Fern Gardner. New Mexico dropped to 17-11 overall, 8-6 in MWC play.
The first half was filled with turnovers by both teams and Utah went into the break leading, 20-17. The second half opened slow by both teams, and the Lobos took a 51-44 lead with 7:05 left in the game. Utah came back and took the lead on seven straight points by Erin Gibbons, followed by eight more points from Lauren Beckman (55-51). For the game, Utah scored 22 points in the paint, 10 points off turnovers, 21 bench points and six second chance points. The Utes were outrebounded 37-36, but added 14 assists, six steals and five blocked shots in the win.
Beckman led all scorers with 16, making 6-of-7 from the field and 4-of-7 from the free-throw line, along with nine rebounds. Senior Amy Ewert scored 13 points, shooting 4-of-7 from the field, 2-of-2 from 3-point range and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. Ewert added three blocked shots and three steals in the game. Kristina Andersen tallied 12 points, making 3-of-10 from the field and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Utah went 22-of-55 (40 percent) from the field, 4-of-14 (29 percent) from three-point range and 73 percent (16-of-22) from the free-throw line.
For the Lobos, Jordan Adams scored 15 points, making 4-of-8 from the field, 1-of-2 from behind the arc and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Adams set a school record for blocked shots with five, and tallied seven rebounds in the game. Teammate Miranda Sanchez notched 12 points and five rebounds, respectively. New Mexico shot 33 percent from the field (17-of-51), 35 percent from the 3-point line (6-of-17) and 86 percent from the free-throw line (19-of-22).
"This win wasn't coming easy for us," said Head Coach Elaine Elliott. "The bottom line is we played tough and played hard and I'm proud of the kids for pulling this one out. We are going to enjoy this one, it is a huge accomplishment for the kids and for our program," said Elliott.
AIR FORCE GAME RECAP: The Utes defeated the Air Force Falcons, 80-33, on Thurs., Mar. 1, at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. Air Force fell to 3-23 overall, 0-13 in MWC play.
The first half saw the Utes explode offensively as they went into the break leading, 40-18. Utah scored 30 points in the paint, 23 points off turnovers, 39 bench points and 16 second chance points. The Utes outrebounded the Falcons 35-21, and racked up 20 assists, 14 steals and four blocked shots in the win. All 12 Utah players saw time in the game.
Kristina Andersen, Lauren Beckman and Erin Gibbons combined for 38 of Utah's 80 points. Beckman led all scorers with 14 points, making 7-of-8 from the field, along with two blocked shots and two steals. Andersen was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. She also added two assists, two steals and one blocked shot. Gibbons shot 3-for-3 from behind the arc and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line with two assists. Erin Hansen added nine points in eight minutes. Utah went 29-of-59 (49 percent) from the field, 5-of-13 (39 percent) from three-point range and 94 percent (17-of-18) from the free-throw line.
For the Falcons, Amoy Jackson and Wendy Stillman tallied seven points each. Jackson led the team with four rebounds. Air Force shot 32 percent from the field (12-of-37), 29 percent from behind the arc (4-of-14) and 63 percent from the free-throw line (5-of-8).
"I like their (Air Force) effort and they do some nice things on the court," said Head Coach Elaine Elliott. "We are bigger and stronger and our bench played very well, they gave us a boost offensively. When we stay disciplined and focused we do well on defense. We used this game to continue our momentum and we hope to build on it," said Elliott.
UTE FACTS: For the first-time in school history, Utah begins a season as the defending regular-season and conference tournament champions. The Utes return four starters and 11 letterwinners from a team which posted an 11-3 league record and a 23-8 overall mark. Utah, which led the nation in scoring defense and made its 10th appearance in the NCAA tournament a year ago, has won or shared a conference title each of the past five years.
Utah's 1999-2000 final RPI ranking, produced by the Jeff Sagrin Women's College Basketball Ratings, was 44th out of 316 teams. The Mountain West Conference was 9th out of 32 conferences.
NCAA STATISTICAL LEADERS: As a team, Utah leads the nation in scoring defense, holding its opponents to an average of 49.4 points per game. The Utes are 2nd nationally in field goal percentage defense (33.3), 6th in win-loss record (25-2) and 13th in scoring margin (18.2).
SCOUTING AIR FORCE: Air Force enters the tournament with a 3-24 overall record, 0-14 record in MWC play. Last week, the Falcons dropped two games on the road, losing to the Utes, 80-33, on Thurs., Mar. 1, and to the Brigham Young Cougars, 66-42, on Sat., Mar. 3.
Wendy Stillman, a Salt Lake City native, and Amoy Jackson each scored seven points to lead the Falcons in the game with Utah. Rozi Russ grabbed five rebounds and had six points. Air Force shot 32 percent from the field (12-of-37), 29 percent from behind the arc (4-of-14) and 63 percent from the free-throw line (5-of-8). Air Force has never defeated Utah, losing all seven of the team's meetings. In those games, the Utes have won by an average margin of over 43 points. Utah dominated Air Force again Thursday night in a preview of the conference tournament, where the teams face off in the opening round March 7.
Against BYU, The Falcons came out strong to take an early 13-11 lead. BYU then shifted the momentum, using a 16-2 run midway through the first half to take control. A deflated Air Force team would never recover. The Falcons played with little intensity for much of the game. They notched a season-low four steals and had 20 turnovers in the game. They were 16-for-54 shooting (.296) had four three-point field goals on 22 attempts. The Cougars finished the game with a 42.9 shooting percentage from the field. Amoy Jackson led the Falcons in scoring with 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds,. Rozi Russ chipped in five points, and Samantha Clifton had eight rebounds to tie for the team lead.
Leading the Falcons is junior Rozalyn Russ. Russ tallies 9.9 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game, 2.0 assists per game and 1.2 steals per game. Sophomore Morgan Bennett averages 9.1 points per game, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game. As a team, Air Force is 36 percent (415-1160) from the field, 30 percent (161-534) from 3-point range and 69 percent (289-421) from the free-throw line. The Falcons average 51.2 points per game and 26.8 rebounds per game.
AIR FORCE HEAD COACH: Sue Darling is in her third season as head coach of the Air Force Falcons women's basketball team. She joined the Falcons in 1998 and was given the charge of leading a program that had just recently moved from Division II to Division I. Although she has struggled with the task, she has a two-year overall record of 9-45, she remains optimistic.
Building a winning program at the Division I level will take time, and Darling knows her patience and hard work will pay dividends in the near future. To achieve her goals, Darling has focused on three areas - team development, recruiting and community development. The first step is to coach the current players to the best of their abilities. Secondly, the Falcons will continue to recruit quality women who have the ability to help Air Force compete in a highly competitive conference. The final area is to get more involved with the community and get the community more involved with the program.
UTES IN THE POLLS: Utah received 488 points for a No. 13 ranking in the Feb. 25th Associated Press poll, and received 465 points for a No. 14 ranking in the Feb. 25th USA Today/ESPN poll. Utah broke into the national rankings (25th in the Associated Press Top 25 poll) for the first time this season on Mon., Dec. 18. The Utes have been ranked or received votes in the Top 25 in at least one of the two polls for 18 consecutive weeks.
Utah defeated then-No. 14 ranked Oregon, 63-48, on Sat., Dec. 16 at home, and lost to the No. 17 (USA Today/ESPN, No. 21 Associated Press) ranked Stanford Cardinal, 72-58, on Sat., Dec. 30.
Utah is the only MWC team ranked at this time. Colorado State received 19 votes in the Feb. 18th Associated Press poll and 9 votes in the Feb. 18th USA Today/ESPN poll.
Utah climbed into the Top 25 in both the USA Today/ESPN and Associated Press polls for the first time ever during the 1998-99 season. The Utes were ranked in the Top 25 in at least one of the two polls for 15 consecutive weeks.
HEAD COACH ELAINE ELLIOTT: The winningest coach in school history, Elaine Elliott has kept the winning tradition alive since earning the head coaching position in 1983-84. She has posted a 371-150 (.712) career record in 17 seasons. In the last 11 years alone, Elliott has guided the Utes to nine 20-win seasons, six 1st-place, three 2nd-place and two third-place finishes in conference play. Overall, Elliott has led the Utes to thirteen 20-win seasons and three 19-win seasons, averaging 20 wins per season. Elliott was named the 1999-2000 IKON/WBCA Division I District 7 Coach of the Year, 1999-2000 inaugural Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year and the 2000-01 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year. Elliott recorded her 350th career-win at home on Sat., Nov. 25 in the 66-33 victory over Weber State. On Sat., Feb. 10, Elliott's 2001 Utah team recorded a seventh-consecutive 20-win season.
STATISTICAL LEADERS: Utah, as a team is first in nine Mountain West Conference statistical categories. The Utes are second in two categories, third in one category, fourth in four categories, fifth in two categories and sixth in one category. Many Utes rank among the MWC statistical leaders in the individual categories.
UTES ON THE RADIO/TV: Utah women's basketball is back on KALL 910-AM this season. KALL will carry 24 regular-season games and all postseason contests live. Clear Channel is in the third year of a four-year contract as the exclusive radio home of University of Utah sports.
Anchoring the broadcast team is KALL-910 AM Sports Director Brad Stone. Stone will broadcast the women's home games, while Kent Rupe will call the road games
NATIONAL ATTENDANCE FIGURES: Utah ranks just out of the top 50 in the nation in home match attendance this week. In 16 games at home, the Utes have brought in 22,198 fans, an average of 1,387 fans per game. Utah's 76-73 victory over New Mexico at The Pit on Sun., Jan. 7, in the conference opener ranks fourth in the nation with 16,845 fans. Utah's 67-57 win over in-state rival Brigham Young at the Jon M. Huntsman Center ranks in as the highest single-game attendance (7,032) for the Utes this season.
THE 4th WINNINGEST BASKETBALL SCHOOL THE PAST FIVE YEARS: When it comes to basketball, the University of Utah has established itself among the nation's elite in recent years. Combined, the Ute women's and men's programs went 292-76 the past five seasons for a .795 winning percentage, which ranks fourth-best in the country. Utah ranks behind Connecticut (.855), Duke (.801) and Stanford (.796),
Utah's women and men swept the inaugural Mountain West Conference regular-season championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season. The women also won the Mountain West Tournament championship, while the men made it to the second round of the NCAAs before falling to eventual national champion Michigan State.
Under head coach Elaine Elliott, the Ute women went 111-35 the past five years, capturing five league regular-season titles and playing in four NCAA Tournaments and one NIT. The Ute men went 137-29 under head coach Rick Majerus from 1995-2000, winning the regular-season conference title and making it to the NCAA Tournament each season. Utah also made it to three Sweet 16s and was the national runner-up in 1998.
This season, the Ute women are 25-2 with wins over traditional national powers UCLA, Iowa, Montana, then-No. 14 ranked Oregon, Oregon State and all MWC opponents.
UTAH VS. RANKED OPPONENTS: Utah is 1-1 (.500) vs. ranked opponents this season. The Utes upset then No. 14 ranked Oregon, 63-58, at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on Sat., Dec. 16, and lost to the then-No. 17 (USA Today/ESPN, No. 21 Associated Press) ranked Stanford Cardinal, 72-58, on Sat., Dec. 30.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL REACHES 550TH WIN: Utah, as a team, reached its 550th career win. The Utes notched their 550th win on Sat., Feb. 3, with a 59-29 road win over Air Force.
UTES REACH 20-WIN PLATEAU: Utah, as a team, has reached its seventh-consecutive 20-win season. The Utes notched their 20th win on Sat., Feb. 10, with a 74-43 victory at home over UNLV. The 2000-2001 Utes have reached 20 wins faster than any other team in Elliott's tenure. The quickest run to 20-wins in Utah history was in 1976-77, when the Utes won 20 of their first 21 games under former head coach Fern Gardner.
2000-01ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE SELECTIONS: The 2001 Mountain West Conference women's basketball postseason all-conference teams, along with the coach, player and defensive player of the year awards as selected by the league's eight head coaches were announced on Mon., Mar. 5.
After leading Utah to a perfect 14-0 conference record and its second straight MWC regular-season title, Elaine Elliott was named 2001 Mountain West Conference Women's Basketball Coach of the Year. UNLV junior forward Linda Fr?hlich and Utah senior forward Amy Ewert were honored as the Co-Players of the Year. Fr?hlich garnered Player of the Year honors for the second straight year, while Ewert picked up the league's Defensive Player of the Year award. The Newcomer of the Year honor went to BYU freshman guard Julie Whetten.
Six institutions are represented on the first- and second teams, and five institutions appear on the third team. The first and second teams breakdown with one senior, two juniors and two sophomores, while the third team is comprised of three seniors, a junior and a sophomore. All five first team honorees were repeat selections to the all-conference list, while three members of the second team and another three from the third team earned all-conference accolades last year.
Regular-season champion Utah placed three individuals on the all-conference list as junior Lauren Beckman and senior Amy Ewert, both second team members in 1999-00, made the first team. Ute senior Kristina Andersen, a second team selection last year, earned third-team honors this season.
Colorado State was represented on each of the three teams. Sophomore Ashley Augspurger, a MWC all-newcomer as a freshman last season, was a first team selection this year and senior Heather Haanen, a first-team selection a year ago, was named to the third team. Ram junior Angie Gorton earned all-conference honors for the first time in her career as a second team honoree.
UNLV had two student-athletes honored on the all-conference list in first team selection Linda Fr?hlich, the only MWC student-athlete to earn first-team honors for the second straight year, and third team member Constance Jinks. BYU sophomore Erin Thorn, last year's Freshman of the Year, rounded out the first team, while teammate Stacy Jensen was a second team selection. New Mexico was represented by a pair of second-team honorees in Miranda Sanchez, a first team selection last year, and the 1999-00 MWC Newcomer of the Year Jordan Adams.
San Diego State sophomore Jamey Cox moved from an all-newcomer last year to a second team selection this season, and Aztec junior Atim Otii garnered all-conference honors for the first time as a third team selection. Wyoming senior Jessica Gibbs also made her first appearance on the all-conference list as a third team member.
2000-01 MWC COACH OF THE YEAR ELAINE ELLIOTT: Utah head coach Elaine Elliott has a career record of 371-150 for a .712 win percentage in 18 seasons with the Utes. Favored to win the title in the preseason poll, Utah became just the second team in Ute history to go unbeaten in conference play (the 1976-77 Ute squad went 13-0 in the Intermountain Athletic Conference). Under coach Elliott's direction, the Utes are currently No. 13 in the national polls and have a record 16 straight regular season conference victories. After winning the inaugural MWC Championship last year, Utah has won 19 straight vs. conference opponents. This year's title marked the sixth straight season the Utes have won at least a share of the conference crown.
CO-PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AMY EWERT: Ewert's role for Utah has also been one of consistency. A starter in every game this season, Ewert leads the team in assists (3.26 apg) and steals (2.56 spg), and ranks in the MWC top 10 in several statistical categories, including steals (2nd, 2.56 per game), field goal percentage (5th, 49.7 percent), assists (9th, 3.26 per game) and assist/turnover ratio (6th, 1.42). In conference games, Ewert ranks 14th in the league in scoring at 10.1 points per game. Her defensive ability helped the Utes maintain the nation's top scoring defense and field goal percentage-defense, allowing opponents to score just 49.4 points per game and shoot a meager 33.3 percent from the field.
UTES HIT CAREER-CHARTS: Three members of the 2000-2001 team have made their way into Utah's all-time career-leader's list. Lauren Beckman -- 156 career blocks (1st on all-time list), Erin Gibbons -- 128 career three-pointers (2nd on all-time list), Lori Red -- 90 career three-pointers (5th on all-time list), Kristina Andersen -- 83 career three-pointers (6th on all-time list) -- 81.9 career free-throw percentage (2nd on all-time list) and Amy Ewert -- 159 career steals (8th on all-time list).
BECKMAN NAMED MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK (FEB. 12): Utah center Lauren Beckman was named the Mountain West Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week, marking her second award this season and second of her career.
A 6-2 junior from Elko, Nev., Beckman helped the then-No. 17-ranked Utes extend their conference win streak to 11 games after a pair of conference victories last week. Utah, 20-2 and 9-0 in MWC play, upended San Diego State, 62-45, and UNLV, 74-43.
Beckman scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbed six rebounds vs. the Aztecs. She tallied a career-high 16 rebounds and scored 19 points vs. the Rebels, marking her league-leading seventh double-double of the season. Her 16-rebound performance is the second-highest single-game total of the season in the MWC. She converted a season-high 11-of-13 free throws (84.6 percent) vs. UNLV, and she was also 2-for-2 from the line vs. SDSU.
For the week, Beckman averaged a double-double with 15.5 points and 11 rebounds per game. She shot 47.4 percent from the field and averaged 3.0 assists and 1.5 blocks per game.
BECKMAN NAMED MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK (JAN. 15): Lauren Beckman was named the Mountain West Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week (Jan. 15-19), marking the first award of her career.
Beckman sparked the Utes to a pair of conference road wins last week. In 16 minutes vs. UNLV on Thursday, Beckman was perfect from the field (3-3) and the free throw line (6-6) en route to a 12-point, eight-rebound performance as the Utes posted a 70-51 victory over the Rebels. She recorded her league-leading fifth double-double of the season with a game-high 19 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in a 56-47 win at San Diego State on Saturday. A second team All-MWC performer last season, Beckman connected on 6-of-14 field goals and 7-of-8 free throws vs. the Aztecs. She also tallied a career-high four assists vs. SDSU. For the week, Beckman averaged 15.5 points and 11 rebounds per game.
HERBERT NAMED MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK (DEC. 18): Utah guard/forward Lindsay Herbert was named the Mountain West Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week (Dec. 18-22), marking the first time she has earned the award.
A 5-11 junior from Couer d'Alene, Idaho, Herbert led the Utes to their ninth straight win of the year tying a career high 19 points in a 63-48 win over then-No. 14 Oregon on Sat., Dec. 16. Herbert was 6-of-9 from the field, 1-of-2 from three point land and 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the Ute victory. She also grabbed four rebounds and dished out three assists vs. the Ducks.
WEEKLY INTERVIEWS: Members of the media who wish to interview Head Coach Elaine Elliott should contact her at her office (801-581-7037) between 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. weekdays. Interviews with the athletes should be arranged through Julie Lapomarda (801-581-3771).
THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE: The newest conference in the nation has quickly emerged as one of the best. The Mountain West Conference, which officially commenced operation on July 1, 1999, sent two basketball teams to NCAA post-season play and one team to the WNIT in its first year. League champion Utah and runner-up BYU made it to the NCAA First Round, while Colorado State made it to the WNIT Semifinals.
MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE MEDIA INFORMATION: Ron Christian, Assistant Director of Communications, handles all information requests related to women's basketball at the Mountain West Conference office. The MWC address is 15455 Gleneagle Drive, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80921. The MWC telephone number is (719) 488-4040. The main fax number is (719) 487-7240 and the media/communications fax number is (719) 487-7241.
UTES AND THE NCAAS: Utah made its 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 1999-00, and stand 1-10 in NCAA Tournament play. The Utes, seeded No. 11 in the Midwest Region, lost to Illinois, 73-58 in the first round at Ames, Iowa.
Utah: 66, Cincinnati: 73 | Big 12 Tournament | Utah Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Wednesday, March 11
Utah: 75, Baylor: 101 | Utah Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, March 08
Utah: 78, Colorado: 92 | Utah Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Wednesday, March 04
Utah: 81, Colorado: 67 | Women's Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, March 01