SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Utes women's basketball team will continue the inaugural Big 12 season by hitting the road to take on Arizona State Feb. 15. This is the second time this season the two teams matched up with the previous match resulting in a 102-82 win for the Utes.
The Utes are currently 19-5 on the season and 10-3 in Big 12 play after defeating Colorado at home in a 77-60 win.
GAME INFORMATION
Utah (19-5, 10-3 Big 12) vs. Arizona State (8-17, 2-11 Big 12)
DATE | TIME: Saturday, Feb. 15 | 2:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Tempe, Ariz. | Desert Financial Arena
TV: ESPN+ | Watch
LISTEN: Click Here
LIVE STATS: Click Here
TWITTER UPDATES: @UtahWBB
HOW TO TUNE IN
Fans can watch the matchup on ESPN+ with Braiden Bell and Arnecia Hawkins 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 women's basketball team picked up a 77-60 win in the Huntsman Center over familiar foe Colorado. Utah had a balanced attack with nine different Utes scoring and seven Utes scoring seven or more points. Utah was led by Gianna Kneepkens' 16 points while
Mayé Touré added 15 for the Utes.
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.
50/40/90
Utah has not one but TWO elite level shooters in Gianna Kneepkens and Kennady McQueen. Kneepkens is THE ONLY player in the country currently averaging 50/40/90 while averaging at least 10 points per game and has played over 150 minutes. McQueen is flirting with the status.
• Gianna Kneepkens is averaging 19.1 points per game and has logged 713 minutes of play. She's shooting 51.4% from the field (143-278), 46.8% from three (73-156) and 91.7% from the free throw line (99-108).
• Kennady McQueen is averaging 10.7 points per game and has logged 519 minutes of play. She's shooting 49.7% from the field(74-149), 42.0% from the three (42-100) and 93.3% from the line (14-15).
KNOWING KNEEPKENS
Kneepkens is currently averaging 19.1 points per game while shooting 51.4% from the field, 46.8% from the three and 91.7% from the free throw line going 99-of-108. She is averaging 5.0 rebounds per game. She leads the Utes from beyond the arc knocking down 73 total so far on the year. Kneepkens sits in the Top 10 in the nation in all three, three point statistical categories. She's No. 5 three point percentage (46.8), No. 6 total three pointers (73) and No. 6 three pointers per game (3.04).
Kneepkens was named Big 12 Player of the Week (1/27/25) after posting back-to-back 30 point games including a career-high 32 points against BYU (1/25). Over the two games, she averaged 31 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals per game. She shot 58.8% from the field, 66.7% from the three and 83.3% from the line. Kneepkens' 31.0 points per game led league players during the week and ranked fourth in the country.
Kneepkens has recorded three 30 point games. Most recently she tied her career-high 32 points and six made threes against UCF (2/8/25). Before that she hit back-to-back 30 point games and established a career-high 32 points against BYU (1/25/25) that included a career-high 10 made three pointers and tied a career-high six made three pointers.
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.
Utah is 12-1 when Kneepkens hits three or more three pointers in a game this season. 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 the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Midseason Team as well as the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year Midseason Watchlist. She was named a Cheryl Miller Award Top 10 candidate. In the preseason, she was a 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
The Utes received votes in the latest AP Top 25 Poll. Utah was ranked as high as #22 this season (Jan. 6) and received votes for five consecutive weeks prior to cracking the Top 25 the week of Jan. 6.
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 ARIZONA STATE
The Sun Devils are currently 8-17 on the season and 2-11 in Big 12 play. In Arizona State's latest game, they fell to the hands of UCF in Orlando, 85-76.
This is the second time this season the Utes and the Sun Devils have faced off as Utah took care of business at home 102-82 on 12/21/24.
Arizona State has two players who average double-figures as junior guard Jalyn Brown (17.6) and graduate guard Tyi Skinner (15.8) lead the team offensively. Brown sits tied for sixth in the Big 12 for points per game.
Brown recorded her tenth 20+ point game of the season against UCF on Wednesday, dropping 22 points on 5-13 shooting from the field.
Utah has a 19-15 record with Arizona State and are 9-8 when taking on the Sun Devils in Tempe.
Arizona State is led by head coach Natasha Adair who is in her 3rd season in Tempe. She has a 27-57 record at the helm of the Sun Devils.
The Utes' seven-game win streak against Arizona State is the second-longest win streak in the two teams history behind Arizona State's eight gamer from 2014-2017.
NEW THIS WEEK
- Utah continued receiving votes in the latest poll that dropped Feb. 10.
- Kneepkens sits in the Top 10 in the nation in three statistical categories.
- No. 5 three point percentage (46.8)
- No. 6 total three pointers (73)
- No. 6 three pointers per game (3.04)
- The Utes are 12-1 in games when Gianna Kneepkens hits three or more three pointers in a game.
- Gianna Kneepkens and Kennady McQueen is the only player in the NCAA to sit at 50/40/90 while scoring over 200 points and have played over 150 minutes this season.
- Utah is currently on a six game win streak.
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 19.1 points per game shooting 51.4% from the field, 46.8% from the three and 91.7% from the free throw line. She also leads the team in made three pointers with 73 and free throws with 99.
- 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 is currently in the top 30 nationally in six major statistical categories:
- No. 10 assists per game (18.7)
- No. 12 field goal percentage (47.5)
- No. 33 scoring offense (77.5)
- No. 19 three point attempts per game (26.1)
- No. 8 three pointers per game (9.8)
- No. 10 three point percentage (37.6)
- Gianna Kneepkens is currently No. 11 in the nation and leads the Big 12 in free throw percentage with 91.7.
- Kneepkens recently jumped to No. 27 in the nation in scoring with 458 total points on the season and No. 33 in points per game with 19.1.
- She sits in the Top 15 in the nation in all three, three point statistical categories.
- No. 5 three point percentage (46.8)
- No. 6 total three pointers (73)
- No. 6 three pointers per game (3.04)
OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF UTAH ATHLETICS – UTAH 360
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FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along during the 2024-25 season on social media (Twitter: @UtahWBB | Instagram:
@UtahWBB | Facebook:
Facebook.com/UtahWBB).