UP NEXT: No. 16 Utah takes on No. 25 Oregon State

Sunday, January 28

Corvallis, OR

1:00 PM

University of Utah

Oregon State

UP NEXT: No. 16 Utah takes on No. 25 Oregon State

1/27/2024 1:32 PM | Women's Basketball

WBB Game Notes at Oregon State

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The No. 16 Utah Utes continue their four game road stretch by taking on No. 25 Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore.

GAME INFORMATION
No. 16 Utah (15-5, 5-3 Pac-12) vs. No. 25 Oregon State (16-3, 5-3Pac-12).
DATE | TIME: Sunday, Jan. 28 | 1:00 p.m.MT
LOCATION: Corvallis, Ore. | Gil Collesium
LIVE STATS: Click Here
LIVE STREAM: Click Here
TV: Pac-12 Mountain
LISTEN: Click Here
TWITTER UPDATES: @UtahWBB

HOW TO TUNE IN
Fans can watch the matchup on Pac-12 Mountain with Ann Schatz and Mary Murphy calling the action. The radio call will be on ESPN 700, with Tyson Ewing handling play-by-play. Live stats are on UtahUtes.com.

OPENING TIP
The Utes have posted a 15-5 record overall on the season and are 5-3 in the Pac-12 season. Utah is 9-1 in the Huntsman Center and has won 25 of its last 26 games at home. Utah has an 10-21 overall record against the Beavers in school history and are 3-11 in Corvallis. During 2023-24, Utah swept the Oregon schools on the road for the first time in school history and are looking to repeat.

LAST TIME OUT
Utah defeated Oregon 58-48 on Friday night in Eugene. The Utes trailed by double digits early in the first half but put together a 12-0 run in the third quarter to take the lead for the first time in the game. Utah never let up after the third quarter momentum shift and pulled ahead for the victory. Utah was led by Pili's 16 points, all of which she scored in the second half. The win over Oregon marked the 1,000th program win for the University of Utah.

THE UTES
Utah returned all of last year's starting five including All-American and Pac-12 Player of the Year, Alissa Pili, as well as All-American Gianna Kneepkens.Utah also brought back starters, Jenna Johnson, Kennady McQueen and Isabel Palmer. Other key players returning are Ines Vieira, Lani White and Dasia Young. Utah welcomed three transfers in Matyson Wilke, Alyssa Blanck and Samantha Crispe as well as two true freshmen Daniela Falcon Hernandez and Reese Ross to this year's squad.

The Utes lost Kneepkens after a season ending foot injury that occurred against BYU (Dec. 2).

PILI POWER
Pili was named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25. She earned Preseason AP All-American Honorable Mention as well as being named as a Katrina McClain Midseason Top 10 Candidate. She was also named to the preseason watchlist for the Naismith Trophy and the WBCA Wade Trophy. Pili was placed No. 4 on the most recent ESPN Top 25 Women's Basketball Players list.

Pili posted a career-high 37 points against No. 1 South Carolina (Dec. 10) and repeated the performance putting up 37 points against USC. After the South Carolina performance Pili earned ESPN, AP and USBWA Player of the Week. She also earned Pac-12 Player of the Week.

IN THE RANKS
Utah has been ranked No. 16 in the latest AP Top 25 polls. Utah has been ranked in the Top 25 for 11 consecutive weeks. Utah is No. 5 in the NCAA Net Rankings and No. 14 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Utah is one of six Pac-12 schools currently in the Top 25 with Washington State receiving votes.
Utah was ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25 Preseason Poll. This was the highest preseason ranking for Utah in school history and the first time the Utes have been ranked to start a season since 2005.

AT THE TOP
Utah is the nation's No. 8 scoring team averaging 85.0 points per game. Utah is No. 7 in the nation in field goal percentage (49.9%). The Utes are No. 1 in the nation in assists per game averaging 21.3 assists per game. Utah is also the nation's best three point shooting team averaging 11.7 made three pointers a game and No. 9 in three point percentage (38.9). Utah is ranked in the top 10 nationally in a total of eight major statistical categories.

HEAD COACH LYNNE ROBERTS
Roberts is in her ninth season at the helm of the Utes. She has posted a 154-109 record in her time at Utah. She was dubbed the Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2023 after leading the team to its first ever Pac-12 regular season title. She led Utah to its second ever Sweet 16 appearance. Roberts also led the Utes to its highest AP Rankings in school history, including 12 weeks in the Top 10.

SCOUTING OREGON STATE
The No. 25 Oregon State Beavers have a 16-3 overall record and are 5-3 in Pac-12 action. The Beavers are coming off a 68-62 win over No. 3 Colorado and are on a one-game win streak.

OSU has two Beavers averaging double figures and are led by Raegan Beers who averages 18.7 points per game. She also averages double figures in rebounds with 11.7.

Utah is on a two-game win streak in the series and have a 3-11 record against Oregon State in Corvallis. The last time the two teams met up was Feb. 3, 2023 where Utah downed the Beavers 75-73 in overtime.

Oregon is led by head coach Scott Rueck who is in his 14th season. He has a 286-147 record at the helm of the Beavs.

NOTABLES
(all statistical rankings are updated through games of 1/27/24)

Ranked No. 16 in this week's AP Top 25 Polls
Utah has been ranked for 11 consecutive weeks this season in the Top 25. Last year, the Utes broke the record being ranked for 13 consecutive weeks in the AP Top 10 during 2022-23 and was ranked in the AP Poll 19 consecutive weeks.
The Utes are 9-1 in the Huntsman Center this year and have won 25 of their last 26 games at home.
Utah's 98-34 win over Merrimack College (Nov. 24) is Utah's largest margin of victory so far this season.
Against South Carolina State (Nov. 9), Utah had 21 made three pointers breaking the school record for most threes in a game which was previously set at 19 (vs. Lipscomb Nov. 10, 2021).
Utah has three Utes averaging double figures, Alissa Pili (22.1), Gianna Kneepkens (17.8) and Kennady McQueen (10.4).
Utah has posted five games of 100 points or more and are undefeated when hitting 100 or more in school history (25-0).
Utah is top 10 nationally in eight major statistical categories:
- No. 8 scoring (85.0)
- No. 1 in assists per game (21.3)
- No. 7 field goal percentage (49.9)
- No. 4 scoring margin (+26.5)
- No. 9 in three point percentage (38.9)
- No. 1 in made three pointers per game (11.5)
- No. 4 in three point attempts per game (29.6)
Alissa Pili was named Pac-12 Player of the Week (Dec. 12) after putting up back-to-back 30 point games, including a career-high 37 points against No. 1 South Carolina.
Pili is No. 5 in the nation in made field goals (163). She's also No. 10 in points per game (22.1). Pili's 441 points this season sits at No. 3 in the nation.
Inês Vieira is No. 6 in the country in total assists with 125 on the year and No. 8 in assists per game averaging 6.25.
Kennady McQueen has stepped up her performance from beyond the arc and sits at No. 45 in the nation in three point percentage (41.0).
The Utes are coming off a historic 2022-23 season including a Pac-12 regular season title and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.
At the helm for the Utes is reigning Pac-12 Coach of the Year, Lynne Roberts who enters her ninth season

NEXT UP
The Utes will head to Washington Feb. 2 and Washington State Feb. 4. Utah will next return to the Huntsman Center to host Oregon State Feb. 9 and Oregon Feb. 11.

FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along during the 2023-24 season on social media (Twitter: @UtahWBB | Instagram: @UtahWBB | Facebook: Facebook.com/UtahWBB).