THE GAME
The Utah Utes (15-2, 5-2 Pac-12), ranked eighth coming into the weekend, continue their Bay Area trip on Sunday when they take on Cal (10-8, 1-6 Pac-12) for a showdown in Haas Pavilion. The game is set to tip off at 4 p.m. PT and will be televised on Pac-12 Networks. Utah is coming off a 74-62 road loss to fourth-ranked Stanford on Friday.
THE MATCHUP
Sunday, Jan. 22 | 4 p.m. (PT)
#8/8 Utah (15-2; 5-2 Pac-12) at California (10-8; 1-6 Pac-12)
Location: Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, Calif.
TV: Pac-12 Networks
Radio: ESPN700 KALL | Listen Live
Click Here
Live Stats: Click Here
HOW TO TUNE IN
Fans can watch the game at Cal on Pac-12 Networks, with Krista Blunk and Mary Murphy calling the action. The radio call will be on ESPN 700 KALL, with Tyson Ewing handling play-by-play and Milee Enger as analyst. Live stats are on CalBears.com
OPENING TIP
(all statistical rankings are updated through games of 1/20/23)
- Utah has been ranked in the AP poll for 10 consecutive weeks, breaking the program record of nine weeks in a row set in 2001. Utah's most total weeks ranked in the same season is 13 in 2005-06.
- This week's NCAA NET rankings place the Utes at No. 7, second-best among Pac-12 teams behind Stanford (4).
- The Utes are 2-1 vs. ranked opponents this season after Friday's 74-62 loss to No. 4 Stanford. Last Sunday Utah beat No. 14/10 Arizona by an 80-79 score. Paired with the Nov. 16 win over then-No. 16 Oklahoma, Utah has defeated multiple ranked opponents in the same season for the first time since 2005-06 (5-3). Two of those wins came against teams in top 16, a feat only previously achieved in 2000-01, and now accomplished for a third time.
- Sunday's win was Utah's third against a Top-15 team under Lynne Roberts (No. 15 Oregon State, 12/8/20 and No. 6 Stanford (1/27/19).
- The highest ranking of a team Utah has defeated in its history is No. 6 (Long Beach State, 2/10/84; 72-70 in Salt Lake City; and Stanford, 1/27/19; 75-68 in SLC). The highest-ranked road win in program history is over No. 15 Oregon State, 85-79, on Dec. 8, 2020 in Corvallis, Ore.
- Utah's 15-2 start to the season, and 5-2 start in Pac-12 Conference play, are its best in both through 17 games since 2018-19 (also started 16-1, 6-1).
- Utah's 14-0 start was the second-best in program history (16-0 in 1997-98) and tied for the fourth-best start by any program in Pac-12 history.
- Utah is the nation's No. 7 scoring team (85.8 ppg), one of four major statistical categories in which the Utes boast a top-10 ranking: 4th in field-goal pct. (49.5); 3rd in scoring margin (+26.9), 7th in scoring (86.8) and 9th in assists (18.1).
- Four Utes averaging in double-figure scoring pace a balanced team attack: Alissa Pili (20.1), Gianna Kneepkens (14.7), Jenna Johnson (11.2) and Kennady McQueen (10.2). Pili (3rd) and Kneepkens (9th) rank among the Pac-12's best.
- Junior forward Alissa Pili, recently named to the Wooden Award and Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Midseason Watch Lists, leads the team in scoring (20.1; 3rd Pac-12, 20th NCAA) and ranks 12th in the nation (1st Pac-12) in field-goal percentage (61.2%). The Nov. 28 Pac-12 Player of the Week recently topped 1,000 career points.
- Sophomore Gianna Kneepkens ranks 15th in the nation in three-point shooting percentage (41.2), No. 2 among Pac-12 players.
- Utah holds an all-time home record of 543-131 (.806), and has won 12 of its last 13 home games, including 7-0 this year. The Utes have nine undefeated home seasons.
- Watch Lists: Gianna Kneepkens (Jersey Mike's Naismith Award/nation's top player; and Cheryl Miller Award/top small forward). Alissa Pili (Katrina McClain Award; top power forward; Wooden Award & Ann Drysdale Meyers Award Midseason Watch Lists).
NEXT UP
Utah returns home the following weekend for games at the Jon M. Huntsman Center against USC on Friday, Jan. 27 and No. 9/13 UCLA on Sunday, Jan. 29. Tickets are available online and by phone, at 801-581-UTIX.
Full notes package can be found here (PDF).
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along during the 2022-23 season on social media (Twitter: @UtahWBB | Instagram:
@UtahWBB | Facebook:
Facebook.com/UtahWBB).