Women's Basketball Plays at Nationally-Ranked Wyoming

Jan. 28, 2008

University of Utah Utes

(16-3, 5-0 Mountain West)

vs.

No. 15/18 Wyoming Cowgirls

(18-1, 6-0 Mountain West)

Game No. 20 ? Wednesay, Jan. 30 ? 7 p.m.
Arena-Auditorium ? Laramie, Wyo.

Game Information
Series: Utah leads, 53-8
Series Streak: Wyoming has won two
Last Meeting: Wyoming 62, Utah 53 (3/3/07)
Last Meeting at UW: Wyoming 56, Utah 55 (2/1/07)

Television: None
Radio: KZNS 1280 The Zone, Chris Tunis (play by play)
UtahUtes.com: Free audio/live statistics

Complete Release in PDF Format

The Tipoff
This was unforeseen in the preseason. With No. 15/19-ranked Wyoming picked to the win the league and the University of Utah women's basketball team (16-3, 5-0 Mountain West) selected to finish fifth, no one thought Wednesday night's tilt in Laramie, Wyo., was going to be a clash of the unbeatens. Tipoff in the Arena-Auditorium is set for 7 p.m. Utah, receiving votes in both polls, will put its 11-game winning streak on the line and Wyoming (18-1, 6-0 MWC) will do the same. However, the Cowgirls come into the contest with a league-best 12 straight wins. The Utes haven't lost since their 62-45 road setback to USC back on Dec. 3, 2007. Last Saturday, they escaped Fort Worth, Texas, with a victory over TCU, 60-50. Wyoming hasn't suffered a loss since Dec. 5, when it fell to Colorado, 69-55. The Cowgirls are on the heels of a 68-55 win over Colorado State last Saturday.

This game will be broadcast on KZNS, 1280 The Zone, with Chris Tunis calling the action. Live audio and statistics are available at www.UtahUtes.com.

Scouting the Opponent
Wyoming is the defending WNIT Champion, having won the title on its floor with a 75-56 win over Wisconsin last march. The Cowgirls have been ranked since then, checking in this week at No. 15/19 in the AP/ESPN-USA Today polls. They have won 12 straight games, and enter the contest with an impressive 18-1 overall mark. UW is also a spotless 6-0 in league play. A trio of players average double-figure points, led by All-America candidate Hanna Zavecz (14.7 points). Justyna Podziemska (12.6) and Aubrey Vandiver (11.5) are also among the team's top scoring threats. Vandiver's 6.6 boards per game lead all Cowgirl players. Joe Legerski is in his fifth season at the helm in Wyoming. He is 93-49 as its head coach.

A Brief Look at the Series
Utah and Wyoming will meet for the 62nd time in their respective histories. The Utes have dominated the series, owning the 53-8 lead over the Cowgirls. However, six of Wyoming's eight wins have come on its home turf in Laramie. Up until last year, Utah had won 30 straight over Wyoming. But, the Cowgirls earned a one-point 56-55 win in Laramie in February, 2007, and they also won the second meeting in Salt Lake, 62-53, the ensuing March. Only two of the meetings went to overtime, and both of them were in Laramie. The Utes bagged an 82-79 double-overtime in February, 2005, and a 69-67 overtime win in March, 2006. Utah is 96-25 all-time in the Mountain West Conference, making it the all-time winningest team in the league.

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