UP NEXT: Utah Hits the Road to Take On Iowa State

UP NEXT: Utah Hits the Road to Take On Iowa State

1/3/2025 2:55 PM | Women's Basketball

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Utes women's basketball team will continue the inaugural Big 12 season by hitting the road to take on Iowa State to take on the Iowa State Cyclones on Sunday, Jan. 5 with a 4:30 p.m. (MT) tip off.

The Utes are currently 11-2 on the season and 2-0 in Big 12 play after defeating Arizona 69-48 in Tucson, Ariz. Utah is currently on a six-game win streak.

GAME INFORMATION
Utah (11-2, 2-0 Big 12) vs. Iowa State (10-5, 1-1 Big 12)
DATE | TIME: Sunday, Jan. 5 | 4:30 PM (MT)
LOCATION: Ames, Iowa | Hilton Coliseum
TV: ESPN2 | Watch
LISTEN: Click Here
LIVE STATS: Click Here
TWITTER UPDATES: @UtahWBB

HOW TO TUNE IN
Fans can watch the match up on ESPN2 with Eric Frede and Christy Thomaskutty on the call. The radio call will be on ESPN700 and can be found on the TuneIn app, with Tyson Ewing and Milee Rustand calling the action.

LAST TIME OUT
Utah picked up its sixth consecutive win by taking down Arizona 69-48 on Dec. 31. This was the first win at the McKale Memorial Center in Tucson, Ariz. since 2018. Utah was led by Gianna Kneepkens' 18 points. Reese Ross led Utah on the boards pulling down a season high of 11. Inês Vieira helped the Utes to victory with 11 assists.

THE UTES
Utah returns four starters from last year's squad including 2022-23 All-American Gianna Kneepkens. Kneepkens returns after suffering a season ending injury early in the 2023-24 season. Utah also brought back starters Jenna Johnson, Kennady McQueen and Inês Vieira. Other key players returning are Matyson Wilke, Samantha Crispe and Reese Ross. The Utes welcome two transfers in Chyra Evans and Mayé Touré and three true freshmen in Grace Foster, Kylie Ray and Brooke Walker.

KNOWING KNEEPKENS
Kneepkens is currently averaging 18.1points per game and shooting 50.4 percent from the field, 44.2 percent from the three and 93.2 from the free throw line going 55-of-59. She is averaging 4.3 rebounds per game. She leads the Utes from beyond the arc knocking down 38 total so far on the year. She is ranked No. 10 in the nation and leads the Big 12 with her 93.2 percent from the free throw line. She is also No. 17 in the nation in three pointers per game with 2.83 a game.

Kneepkens has scored a season-high 24 points three times this season. First she hit 24 points in just 21 minutes of game play against McNeese (11/18/24). Second, she hit 24 against Washington (12/14/24) with 14 of those points coming in the fourth quarter. Most recently she hit 24 points against Arizona State (12/21/24).

Prior to her injury in 2023-24, Kneepkens played just eight games and was averaging 17.8 points per game while shooting 63.3 percent from the field and 54.0 percent from beyond the arc. She averaged 5.5 rebounds and four assists per game.

Kneepkens has knocked down three or more three-pointers in all but six games this season with a season-high of four made four times with the last time coming against Arizona (12/31/24). She is a 1,000 point scorer as she broke the 1,000-point milestone last season when she put up 19 against Carroll College (Nov. 28, 2023).

She was named to both the Naismith Player of the Year and Cheryl Miller Award Preseason Watchlists. Kneepkens was also placed on the Big 12 Preseason All-Conference team.

IN THE RANKS
Utah received votes in the AP Top 25 Poll for the fourth consecutive week in a row and fourth week this season. During the 2023-24 season the Utes' were ranked in the Top 25 for 20 consecutive weeks.

HEAD COACH GAVIN PETERSEN
Petersen was named the head coach of the Utah women's basketball team on Nov. 19, 2024 just four games into the 2024-25 season. He brings 23 seasons of college coaching experience to the role, he is in his 10th season overall with the Utes and spent the previous five years as associate head coach under Lynne Roberts.

Petersen has been a part of the staff that has led the Utes to six postseason appearances—including three NCAA tournaments and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen—and four 20-win seasons, as well as regular appearances in the AP Top 25.

SCOUTING IOWA STATE
The Iowa State Cyclones are currently 10-5 on the season and 1-1 in Big 12 play. The Cyclones are coming off a 78-64 win over Kansas and have lost three of the last five games.

Iowa State has two people averaging double figures and are led by Audi Crooks who averages 22.8 points per game shooting for 62.0 percent from the field.

This will be fifth time the two programs have matched up. The last time the two teams met was March of 2005. Utah defeated Iowa State 73-61.

Utah has a 4-0 record with Iowa State and are 1-0 when playing in Ames. This is the first time since 1992 Utah will take on Iowa State on the road.

Iowa State is led by head coach Bill Fennelly who is in his 30th season. He has a 620-318 record at the helm of the Cyclones.

NEW THIS WEEK

Utah has received votes for the AP Top 25 Poll for the fourth week in a row.
Utah's 69-48 win over Arizona marked the first win on the road at Arizona since the 2017-18 season.
Utah had at least one player in double figures in three different stat categories against Arizona. Three players scored in double figures with Gianna Kneepkens leading the way with 14 points. Utah also had Reese Ross record 11 rebounds while Ines Vieira posted 11 assists.

SEASON NEED TO KNOW

Utah's 78-67 win over No. 3 Notre Dame marks the highest ranked win while traveling in school history. Previously, the record for the highest ranked neutral site game was during the 2002-03 season when Utah defeated No. 14 Mississippi State 69-65. The previous record for highest ranked win outside of Salt Lake City was last season when Utah defeated No. 6 USC with a 74-68 score in Los Angeles (2/25/24).
This is back-to-back seasons the Utes have taken down top-10 teams away from the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
Gavin Petersen became the fastest head coach in school history to get a win over a top-10 team. Accomplishing the feat in just four games when Utah downed No. 3 Notre Dame 78-67 (11/30/24).
Utah's 105 points against SUU (11/4/24), marked the first time in school history the Utes scored 100 or more points in the season opener in back-to-back seasons.
Utah's 118 points against McNeese (11/18/24) marks the second highest points scored in a game in Utah program history. The record stands at 124 which has occurred twice, with the most recent time coming in 2022-23 against Oklahoma State.
In Utah's 67-57 win over Washington, the Utes trailed by 10 points going into the fourth quarter. The Utes outscored the Huskies 27-7 in the fourth quarter to pull out the win. At the time, Utah was one of six teams to overcome a double digit deficit for a victory.
Gianna Kneepkens has left no doubts with her comeback as she leads the team averaging 18.1 points per game shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from the three. She also leads the team in made three pointers with 34 and free throws with 53.
At the helm for the Utes is Gavin Petersen who is in his first season as head coach and 10th overall season at Utah. He was named head coach Nov. 19, 2024 just four games into the season.
Utah welcomes two transfers (Chyra Evans and Mayè Tourè) and three true freshmen (Brooke Walker, Grace Foster and Kylie Ray) to this year's squad.
Utah is currently in the top 30 nationally in nine major statistical categories:
- No. 9 assists per game (19.6)
- No. 26 assists/turnover (1.25)
- No. 15 field goal percentage (48.6)
- No. 26 free throw percentage (77.1)
- No. 22 scoring (82.0)
- No. 27 scoring margin (22.5)
- No. 8 made three pointers per game (10.3)
- No. 20 three point attempts per game (27.2)
- No. 16 three point percentage (38.0)
Inês Vieira is currently No. 11 in the nation and No. 4 in the Big 12 in total assists with 82. She is also No. 8 nationally, No. 4 in the Big 12 in assists per game (6.3).
Gianna Kneepkens is currently No. 10 in the nation and leads the Big 12 in free throw percentage with 93.2.
Kneepkens is currently No. 17 in the nation, No. 3 in the Big 12 in three pointers made with 38 and No. 17 in the nation and No. 4 in the Big 12 in three pointers per game (2.92).
Matyson Wilke is currently No. 17 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big 12 in three point percentage with 45.3 on the season.

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FOLLOW THE UTES!
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