Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Eastern Kentucky on March 19, 2026 , Loss , 58, to, 72
Final Score
Women's Basketball
58
at Eastern Kentucky
72
The University of Utah Athletics
Sunday, December 14
Salt Lake City, Utah
2:00 PM
University of Utah
vs
Northwestern
Utah to Host Northwestern Sunday Dec. 14
12/12/2025 3:59 PM | Women's Basketball
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah women's basketball team is set to face off against Northwestern for the fourth time in program history on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. This will be only the second time Utah has ever hosted Northwestern and the first time since 2006.
GAME INFORMATION
Utah (7-3, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Northwestern (6-3, 0-0 Big Ten)
DATE | TIME: Sunday, Dec. 14 | 2:00 p.m. (MT)
LOCATION: Salt Lake City, Utah | Jon M. Huntsman Center
LIVE STATS: Click Here
LIVE STREAM: Click Here
LISTEN:Click Here
TWITTER UPDATES:@UtahWBB
HOW TO TUNE IN
Fans can follow along with the live action on the matchup on ESPN+ with Krista Blunk on the play-by-play and Elaine Elliott as analyst. 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 women's basketball is coming off of a four game win streak after beating Boise State 91-58. Utah was led by senior Lani White who put up 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists. White also had a career-high 5-of-5 from beyond the arc. Utah had three more players with double digit points: LA Sneed (17), Chyra Evans (15), and Avery Hjelmstad (10). LA Sneed shot 6-10 from the field and 50% from the arc. Chyra Evans had eight rebounds on the night to help seal the Utes victory. Utah posted a season-best 14 made threes and a season-best 56 rebounds.
THE UTES
Utah returns four key contributors from the 2024-25 season including Maty Wilke, Samantha Crispe, Brooke Walker and Reese Ross. This year the Utes welcome back Lani White who played at Utah for her freshman and sophomore seasons. White spent her junior season at Virginia Tech but has returned to finish her collegiate career where she started it all, as a Ute. The Utes welcome one true transfer in Kamryn Mafua and four freshmen in LA Sneed, Ella Todd, Avery Hjelmstad and Evelina Otto.
THE KEY IS WILKE
Maty Wilke is Utah's top returner. Wilke is shooting 38.1% from the field, 39.3% from three and 100% from the line while averaging 9.9 points per game. She's averaging 3.7 rebounds and has 26 assists so far this season. Wilke has 978 total points in her collegiate career and is just 22 points away from the exclusive 1,000 point club. She's currently ranked No. 73 in the NCAA in made three pointers this season with 24.
HJELMSTAD & THE FOURTH QUARTER
Freshman Avery Hjelmstad THRIVES in the final 10 minutes of a game. 63.4% (59-of-93) of Hjelmstad's points have been scored in the fourth quarter. Against Weber State (11/26) all of Hjelmstad's 12 points were scored in the fourth quarter. 10 of those were scored within 90 seconds and seven of them were unanswered. Weber State (11/26) was her biggest fourth quarter to date with 12 points going 3-of-4 from the field, 2-of-3 from the three and 4-of-5 from the line. Against Sioux Falls (11/3) Hjelmstad posted 11 points including three from deep and two made free throws. Hjelmstad went 4-of-8 from the field and 2-of-5 from deep against Utah State (11/7) for 11 points. Against Colorado State (12/4), Hjelmstad posted 16-of-22 points in the second half with 10 of those coming in the fourth quarter. Hjelmstad made 3-of-10 points in the fourth quarter against Boise State.
Game-By-Game Breakdown:
(Points in the Fourth - Total Points)
vs. Sioux Falls 11-of-14
vs. Utah State 11-of-16
vs. Utah Valley 3-of-3
vs. UConn 6-of-6
vs. Weber State 12-of-12
vs. Montana 3-of-6
vs. Colorado State 10-of-22
Vs. Boise State 3-of-10
HEAD COACH GAVIN PETERSEN
Petersen enters his second season and first full season as head coach. He 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 has a 26-11 record in his career. Petersen became the fastest coach in program history to get a Top-10 victory when he led the Utes to a 78-67 win over No. 3 NotreDame (11/30/24). He brings 23 seasons of college coaching experience to the role, he is in his 11th 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 seven postseason appearances—including four NCAA tournaments and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen—and five 20-win seasons, as well as regular appearances in the AP Top 25.
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern has a 6-3 record so far this season and is coming off a 79-70 loss to Ohio State. Northwestern is led by head coach Joe McKeown who is in his 18th season at the helm of the Wildcats. Northwestern is averaging 68.67 points per game through their first nine games while allowing opponents to score 67.33 points per game.
The Wildcats are shooting 43.0% from the field, 29.4% from three, and 66.9% from the free-throw line. On the glass, Northwestern is averaging 39.8 rebounds per game, compared to opponents' 34.7 boards per game. The Wildcats have three players averaging nine points or more: Grace Sullivan (24.3), Casey Harter (9.7), and Tayla Thomas (9.2).
Grace Sullivan leads the team in scoring at 24.3 points per game, shooting 58.7% from the field and 65.4% from the line, while adding 9.1 rebounds per game. Northwestern leads the all-time series 2-1. The last time the Utes and Wildcats faced off was 11/14/24 where the Wildcats came out on top 71-69. Utah boasts a 1-0 overall record while playing the Wildcats in Salt Lake City.
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
• Against Boise State (12/10) Utah pulled down 56 rebounds for a season-high.
• The Utes knocked down 14 from beyond the arc for the most threes made in a game this season against Boise State (12/10).
• Senior Lani White hit 23 points which is the most points she's scored in a game as a Ute against Boise State (12/10). White's 23 points inlcuded 5-of-5 from beyond the arc for a career-high.
• The Utes have knocked down 10 or more threes in a game six times this season and are undefeated in those games.
• Utah's bench put up 27 points against Boise state (12/10). The Utes are 6-0 when the bench puts up 20 or more points in a game.
2025-26 SEASON NEED TO KNOW
• Utah is coming off its fourth consecutive 20-win season and fourth NCAA Tournament appearances. Head Coach Gavin Petersen enters his second season at the helm of the Utes and 11th overall season at Utah.
• The Utes are returning seven from last year's squad including, key contributors Maty Wilke, Reese Ross, Samantha Crispe and Brooke Walker.
• Utah welcomes back Lani White who spent the 2022-23 and 2023-24 season with Utah before spending the 2024-25 season at Virginia Tech.
• The Utes have five true newcomers on the roster this year in transfer Kamryn Mafua and freshmen Ella Todd, Evelina Otto, LA Sneed and Avery Hjelmstad
• At the helm for the Utes is Gavin Petersen who is in his second season as head coach and 11th overall season at Utah. He was named head coach Nov. 19, 2024, just four games into the 2025-26 season.
• Against UConn (11/23), the Utes posted 14 assists on 14 made field goal for a 100% rate, the highest on the season.
• Maty Wilke, Avery Hjelmstad and Lani White have each logged five made threes in a game so far on the season.
• Lani White holds the season high with 12 rebounds in a game this season (Washington, 11/15).
• Utah had a season high of 25 assists against Utah State including a career-high nine from LA Sneed
• Lani White has the season high performance with 23 points against Boise State (12/10).
• Maty Wilke tied her career high with six assists against Weber State (11/26). Wilke's six assists pushed her over the 200-assist milestone.
• The Utes best rebounding game of the season came against Boise State where Utah had 56 total boards.
• Avery Hjelmstad is the fourth quarter queen with 59 of her 93 total points coming in the fourth quarter. Against Weber State (11/26), Hjelmstad posted all 12 points in the final 10 minutes of action, 10 of those points happened within 90 seconds and seven of them went unanswered.
• Utah is top 40 nationally in five major statistical categories:
No. 28 assists per game (17.9)
No. 16 defensive rebounds per game (30.7)
No. 24 three point attempts (27.5)
No. 41 three point percentage (36.4)
No. 9 three pointers per game (10.0)
UP NEXT
Utah will be back at Jon M. Huntsman Center to host UC Riverside Dec. 17. Utah will start Big 12 play on the road at Arizona Dec. 22.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along during the 2025-26 season on social media (Twitter: @UtahWBB | Instagram: @UtahWBB | Facebook: Facebook.com/UtahWBB).
GAME INFORMATION
Utah (7-3, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Northwestern (6-3, 0-0 Big Ten)
DATE | TIME: Sunday, Dec. 14 | 2:00 p.m. (MT)
LOCATION: Salt Lake City, Utah | Jon M. Huntsman Center
LIVE STATS: Click Here
LIVE STREAM: Click Here
LISTEN:Click Here
TWITTER UPDATES:@UtahWBB
HOW TO TUNE IN
Fans can follow along with the live action on the matchup on ESPN+ with Krista Blunk on the play-by-play and Elaine Elliott as analyst. 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 women's basketball is coming off of a four game win streak after beating Boise State 91-58. Utah was led by senior Lani White who put up 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists. White also had a career-high 5-of-5 from beyond the arc. Utah had three more players with double digit points: LA Sneed (17), Chyra Evans (15), and Avery Hjelmstad (10). LA Sneed shot 6-10 from the field and 50% from the arc. Chyra Evans had eight rebounds on the night to help seal the Utes victory. Utah posted a season-best 14 made threes and a season-best 56 rebounds.
THE UTES
Utah returns four key contributors from the 2024-25 season including Maty Wilke, Samantha Crispe, Brooke Walker and Reese Ross. This year the Utes welcome back Lani White who played at Utah for her freshman and sophomore seasons. White spent her junior season at Virginia Tech but has returned to finish her collegiate career where she started it all, as a Ute. The Utes welcome one true transfer in Kamryn Mafua and four freshmen in LA Sneed, Ella Todd, Avery Hjelmstad and Evelina Otto.
THE KEY IS WILKE
Maty Wilke is Utah's top returner. Wilke is shooting 38.1% from the field, 39.3% from three and 100% from the line while averaging 9.9 points per game. She's averaging 3.7 rebounds and has 26 assists so far this season. Wilke has 978 total points in her collegiate career and is just 22 points away from the exclusive 1,000 point club. She's currently ranked No. 73 in the NCAA in made three pointers this season with 24.
HJELMSTAD & THE FOURTH QUARTER
Freshman Avery Hjelmstad THRIVES in the final 10 minutes of a game. 63.4% (59-of-93) of Hjelmstad's points have been scored in the fourth quarter. Against Weber State (11/26) all of Hjelmstad's 12 points were scored in the fourth quarter. 10 of those were scored within 90 seconds and seven of them were unanswered. Weber State (11/26) was her biggest fourth quarter to date with 12 points going 3-of-4 from the field, 2-of-3 from the three and 4-of-5 from the line. Against Sioux Falls (11/3) Hjelmstad posted 11 points including three from deep and two made free throws. Hjelmstad went 4-of-8 from the field and 2-of-5 from deep against Utah State (11/7) for 11 points. Against Colorado State (12/4), Hjelmstad posted 16-of-22 points in the second half with 10 of those coming in the fourth quarter. Hjelmstad made 3-of-10 points in the fourth quarter against Boise State.
Game-By-Game Breakdown:
(Points in the Fourth - Total Points)
vs. Sioux Falls 11-of-14
vs. Utah State 11-of-16
vs. Utah Valley 3-of-3
vs. UConn 6-of-6
vs. Weber State 12-of-12
vs. Montana 3-of-6
vs. Colorado State 10-of-22
Vs. Boise State 3-of-10
HEAD COACH GAVIN PETERSEN
Petersen enters his second season and first full season as head coach. He 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 has a 26-11 record in his career. Petersen became the fastest coach in program history to get a Top-10 victory when he led the Utes to a 78-67 win over No. 3 NotreDame (11/30/24). He brings 23 seasons of college coaching experience to the role, he is in his 11th 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 seven postseason appearances—including four NCAA tournaments and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen—and five 20-win seasons, as well as regular appearances in the AP Top 25.
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern has a 6-3 record so far this season and is coming off a 79-70 loss to Ohio State. Northwestern is led by head coach Joe McKeown who is in his 18th season at the helm of the Wildcats. Northwestern is averaging 68.67 points per game through their first nine games while allowing opponents to score 67.33 points per game.
The Wildcats are shooting 43.0% from the field, 29.4% from three, and 66.9% from the free-throw line. On the glass, Northwestern is averaging 39.8 rebounds per game, compared to opponents' 34.7 boards per game. The Wildcats have three players averaging nine points or more: Grace Sullivan (24.3), Casey Harter (9.7), and Tayla Thomas (9.2).
Grace Sullivan leads the team in scoring at 24.3 points per game, shooting 58.7% from the field and 65.4% from the line, while adding 9.1 rebounds per game. Northwestern leads the all-time series 2-1. The last time the Utes and Wildcats faced off was 11/14/24 where the Wildcats came out on top 71-69. Utah boasts a 1-0 overall record while playing the Wildcats in Salt Lake City.
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
• Against Boise State (12/10) Utah pulled down 56 rebounds for a season-high.
• The Utes knocked down 14 from beyond the arc for the most threes made in a game this season against Boise State (12/10).
• Senior Lani White hit 23 points which is the most points she's scored in a game as a Ute against Boise State (12/10). White's 23 points inlcuded 5-of-5 from beyond the arc for a career-high.
• The Utes have knocked down 10 or more threes in a game six times this season and are undefeated in those games.
• Utah's bench put up 27 points against Boise state (12/10). The Utes are 6-0 when the bench puts up 20 or more points in a game.
2025-26 SEASON NEED TO KNOW
• Utah is coming off its fourth consecutive 20-win season and fourth NCAA Tournament appearances. Head Coach Gavin Petersen enters his second season at the helm of the Utes and 11th overall season at Utah.
• The Utes are returning seven from last year's squad including, key contributors Maty Wilke, Reese Ross, Samantha Crispe and Brooke Walker.
• Utah welcomes back Lani White who spent the 2022-23 and 2023-24 season with Utah before spending the 2024-25 season at Virginia Tech.
• The Utes have five true newcomers on the roster this year in transfer Kamryn Mafua and freshmen Ella Todd, Evelina Otto, LA Sneed and Avery Hjelmstad
• At the helm for the Utes is Gavin Petersen who is in his second season as head coach and 11th overall season at Utah. He was named head coach Nov. 19, 2024, just four games into the 2025-26 season.
• Against UConn (11/23), the Utes posted 14 assists on 14 made field goal for a 100% rate, the highest on the season.
• Maty Wilke, Avery Hjelmstad and Lani White have each logged five made threes in a game so far on the season.
• Lani White holds the season high with 12 rebounds in a game this season (Washington, 11/15).
• Utah had a season high of 25 assists against Utah State including a career-high nine from LA Sneed
• Lani White has the season high performance with 23 points against Boise State (12/10).
• Maty Wilke tied her career high with six assists against Weber State (11/26). Wilke's six assists pushed her over the 200-assist milestone.
• The Utes best rebounding game of the season came against Boise State where Utah had 56 total boards.
• Avery Hjelmstad is the fourth quarter queen with 59 of her 93 total points coming in the fourth quarter. Against Weber State (11/26), Hjelmstad posted all 12 points in the final 10 minutes of action, 10 of those points happened within 90 seconds and seven of them went unanswered.
• Utah is top 40 nationally in five major statistical categories:
No. 28 assists per game (17.9)
No. 16 defensive rebounds per game (30.7)
No. 24 three point attempts (27.5)
No. 41 three point percentage (36.4)
No. 9 three pointers per game (10.0)
UP NEXT
Utah will be back at Jon M. Huntsman Center to host UC Riverside Dec. 17. Utah will start Big 12 play on the road at Arizona Dec. 22.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along during the 2025-26 season on social media (Twitter: @UtahWBB | Instagram: @UtahWBB | Facebook: Facebook.com/UtahWBB).
Players Mentioned
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