Women's Basketball Battles BYU in Deseret Duel Series

Jan. 17, 2008

University of Utah Utes

(13-3, 2-0 Mountain West)

vs.

Brigham Young University Cougars

(8-6, 2-0 Mountain West)

Game No. 17 ? Saturday, Jan. 19 ? 7 p.m.
Marriott Center ? Provo, Utah

Game Information
Series: Utah leads, 57-31
Series Streak: BYU has won the last two
Last Meeting: BYU 55, Utah 49 (3/9/07)
Last Meeting at Provo: BYU 59, Utah 55 (2/28/07)

Television: The Mtn.
Radio: KALL 700 Sports, Chris Tunis (play by play)
UtahUtes.com: Free audio

Complete Release in PDF Format

The Tipoff
The weekly grind of conference play continues for the University of Utah women's basketball team (13-3 overall, 2-0 Mountain West) when it travels south on I-15 to battle in-state rival Brigham Young on Saturday. Tipoff against the Cougars is set for 7 p.m. The game will be televised live on The Mtn. Utah enters the contest on an eight-game winning streak, and its on the heels of 74-62 home win over San Diego State last Wednesday. The Utes haven't lost since Dec. 3, when USC dealt them a 62-45 loss. BYU comes into the contest with an 8-6 tally, and it boasts a similar 2-0 start in league play. The Cougars have won four straight, including a 67-55 home win over UNLV in their last tilt.

This game will be broadcast on KALL 700 with Chris Tunis calling the action. Live audio is available at www.UtahUtes.com.

Scouting the Opponent
Brigham Young enters the game with an 8-6 overall mark, and it is a perfect 2-0 in league play. It has won its last four games, with its last loss a 65-54 setback at Weber State. BYU boasts the league's best field goal percentage defense (.347). The Cougars are led by Mallary Carling who averages a team-best 14.2 points per game. Lauren Varley tallies 8.9 points per contest, and she shoots a team-best .532 from the floor. Varley is the team's top rebounder with 8.9 per game. She is tops in the MWC in rebounds, second in the league in shooting. Jeff Judkins is in his sixth season on the bench at BYU. He owns an all-time record of 134-68 as the Cougars' mentor.

A Brief Look at the Series
Separated by 49 miles, it's easy to see why BYU is Utah's most familiar opponent. The Utes and Cougs have met 88 times in their storied histories, and Utah owns the 57-31 all-time lead. BYU has won the last two meetings, including a 55-49 win in the most recent meeting at the Mountain West Conference Tournament last year. Last season's contest in Provo fell BYU's way as well, 59-55. However, Utah has won eight of the last 11 tilts. The last Utah victory was a 64-54 triumph in Salt Lake City last season. The Utes' last win in Provo came in 2006, 70-52. Utah is 93-25 all-time in the Mountain West Conference, making it the all-time winningest team in the league.

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