SALT LAKE CITY -- The 16th-ranked Utah Utes (6-0)--the nation's No. 2 scoring team at 95.0 points per game--take to the road to face Mississippi Valley State Thursday, Dec. 1, as part of the Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series. The contest is set to tip off at 6 p.m. CT (5 MT) at the R.W. Harrison HPER Complex in Itta Bena, Miss.
WATCH/LISTEN/FOLLOW
Fans can watch on Pac-12 Mountain and ESPN+. The radio call be heard on 101.5 The Eagle with Tyson Ewing calling the action. Live stats can be found at UtahUtes.com.
PAC-12/SWAC LEGACY SERIES
Utah's game at Mississippi Valley State is part in the
Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series, an educational and basketball scheduling partnership between the two conferences, to tip off the 2022-23 season.
The first-of-its-kind pact between Autonomy 5 and HBCU leagues was established to create both a forum for competition, as well as promotion and education around issues of anti-racism and social justice. Utah will spend Friday in Memphis, Tenn., visiting the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel.
OPENING TIP
- The Utes boast the nation's No. 2 scoring offense, averaging 95.0 points per game. Utah also ranks No. 2 in assists per game (21.7) and third in field goal percentage (52.4%).
- Utah tied the program record for points in a game with 124 in a home win over No. 16 Oklahoma on Nov. 16. That matched the standard set on March 24, 1979 vs. NAU.
- Over a three-game stretch in mid-Nov. against S.E. Louisiana, No. 16 Oklahoma and Alabama, Utah averaged 105.3 points per game and shot 57.3% from the floor. This included a 59.3% shooting effort (S.E. Louisiana) and 58.8% night (Alabama).
- Utah checks in at No. 16 in this week's AP poll, it's highest position since ranking 14th on Jan. 28, 2019. The Utes ranked 25th in the preseason poll, then moved up to 17th before this week's one spot climb. Utah is one of five Pac-12 teams in the Poll.
- The Utes have dished out 130 assists this season and average 21.7 per game, second-best in the nation. Utah has dished out 29 or more assists in two games, including a season-best 33 against No. 16 Oklahoma. Utah has assisted on 65.7 percent of its field goals this season. Every Utah player has logged an assist this season.
- Utah recorded a 46-point victory over No. 16 Oklahoma on Nov. 16, the largest win margin by the Utes against an AP Top 25 team. It was also the largest margin of victory for a Pac-12 team against a ranked team since 1999-00.
- Two Utes landed on national preseason award watch lists, sophomore Gianna Kneepkens (Jersey Mike's Naismith Award/nation's top player; and Cheryl Miller Award/top small forward) and Junior Alissa Pili (Katrina McClain Award for the top power forward).
- Pili was named Pac-12 Player of the Week on Nov. 28, the second such honor of her career. The first came as a USC Trojan in February 2021. Utah's last Pac-12 Player of the Week honor came in Dec. 2020 (Brynna Maxwell).
FOLLOW THE UTES
Fans can follow along during the 2022-23 season on social media (Twitter: @UtahWBB | Instagram: @UtahWBB | Facebook: Facebook.com/UtahWBB) and catch interesting and informative stories on UtahUtes.com.