Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball at Eastern Kentucky on March 19, 2026 at 4:30 PM (MT)
4:30 PM (MT)
Women's Basketball
at Eastern Kentucky
The University of Utah Athletics
Thursday, March 19
Richmond, KY
4:30 PM (MT)
University of Utah
at
Eastern Kentucky
UP NEXT: Utah Heads to Eastern Kentucky for WBIT First Round
3/17/2026 1:33 PM | Women's Basketball
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah women's basketball season isn't over yet as the Utes have earned a bid to the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament. Utah will be the No. 1 seed and will travel to take on Eastern Kentucky in the First Round in Richmond, Ky. on Thursday, March 19 at 4:30 p.m. (MT).
GAME INFORMATION
Utah (19-12, 10-8 Big 12) vs. Eastern Kentucky (24-8, 15-3 Big 12)
DATE | TIME: Thursday, March 19 | 4:30 PM (MT)
LOCATION: Richmond, Ky.| Baptist Health Arena
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 of the matchup on ESPN+ with Wes Chandler on the PxP and Kent Miller as analyst. The radio call will be on ESPN700 with Tyson Ewing and Milee Rustand calling the action.
LAST TIME OUT
The Utah women's basketball team fell 70-52 to BYU in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament. Utah was led by Lani White with 20 points. Maty Wilke added eight points, while Chyra Evans chipped in six. Evans led the Utes on the glass with eight rebounds, followed by Reese Ross with six. LA Sneed paced the team with five assists.
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 40.1% from the field, 34.7% from three and 86.4% from the line while averaging 10.5 points per game. She's averaging 3.4 rebounds and has 70 assists so far this season. Wilke has 1,206 total points in her collegiate career. She has also hit 238 career made three pointers, pulled down 361 career rebounds and posted 258 career assists.
LANI'S CHARISMA
White earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors heading into the Big 12 Tournament. She has logged 10 20-point games this season and has scored in double figures 17 of the last 19 games. Currently leads the Utes with 15.8 points per game. She's shooting 46.2% from the field, 40.4% from three and 82.7% from the free throw line. She's second on the team in rebounding pulling down 148 total on the year and averages 4.8 rebounds a game. She leads the team with 165 made field goals and is first on the team with 69 made three pointers.
Lani White hit a hot streak. She scored 20 or more points and hit five or more made three pointers in back-to-back games (Boise State, 12/10 and Northwestern 12/14). She posted a career-high 26 points and a career-high 7-of-7 from three point range against Northwestern (12/14). She knocked down 12 straight three pointers without a single miss. She matched her career-high scoring by hitting 26 points against Arizona (12/21) including a career-high 11 made field goals.
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 38-20 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 EASTERN KENTUCKY
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels women's basketball enter postseason play with a 24-8 overall record.
Eastern Kentucky is led by head coach Greg Todd, who is in his fourth season at the helm of EKU and owns a 79-50 overall record.
Eastern Kentucky is averaging 72.6 points per game while allowing 59.1 points per contest. The Colonels are shooting 42.4% from the field, 31.5% from three-point range, and 74.0% from the free-throw line this season. On the glass, EKU is averaging 39.1 rebounds per game, compared to opponents' 36.5 rebounds per game.
Eastern Kentucky has four players averaging double figures: Joseana Vaz (13.9), Liz Freihofer (12.5), Ndidiamaka Ndukwe (10.6), and Kenleigh Woods (10.5). Vaz leads the Cougars in scoring at 13.9 points per game, shooting 41.8% from the field, 32.6% from three-point range, and 69.8% from the free-throw line, while adding 6.8 rebounds per game.
Utah leads the all-time series 1-0 against Eastern Kentucky. This will be the second meeting between the two teams. Utah won the previous matchup 117-72 on Nov. 19, 2023.
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
• The Utes ended the season sitting at No. 58 in the Net Rankings.
• This is the Utes fifth consecutive postseason berth after earning bids to the NCAA Tournament the previous four seasons.
• This will be the Utes' 32nd overall appearance in the postseason and second under Petersen.
• The last time Utah went to a postseason other than the NCAA Tournament was in 2017-18 when Utah played in the Women's NIT and made it to the second round after defeating UNLV in the first round 78-68.
• Lani White has scored in double figures in 17 of the last 19 games.
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.
• Utah downed No. 8 TCU (1/3) in overtime 87-77 handing the Frogs their first loss of the season. This was the 11th Top-10 win in school history and the fourth consecutive season the Utes have downed a Top-10 team. It also marked the first time in program history that Utah has picked up a Top-10 win in four straight seasons.
• Against No. 1 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 at least five made threes in a game so far on the season.
• Lani White holds the season high with most points scored in a game with 26 twice (Northwestern 12/14, Arizona 12/21).
• Utah had a season high of 25 assists against Utah State (11/7) including a career-high nine from LA Sneed. Sneed's nine also marks a season high for Utah.
• The Utes best rebounding game of the season came against Boise State where Utah had 56 total boards.
• The Utes knocked down 14 from beyond the arc for the most threes made in a game this season against Boise State (12/10).
• Against BYU (2/21), the Utes recorded 33 points in the fourth quarter for the most points scored in a quarter this season. Utah and BYU broke the record for most total combined points scored in a single quarter in a Big 12 league game with 63 total points in the fourth quarter (2/21). Utah posted 33 while BYU had 30 of its own.
• Utah is top 50 nationally in five major statistical categories:
No. 40 assists per game (16.3)
No. 31 defensive rebounds per game (28.1)
No. 23 three point attempts (25.7)
No. 51 three point percentage (34.3)
No. 14 three pointers per game (8.9)
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 (19-12, 10-8 Big 12) vs. Eastern Kentucky (24-8, 15-3 Big 12)
DATE | TIME: Thursday, March 19 | 4:30 PM (MT)
LOCATION: Richmond, Ky.| Baptist Health Arena
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 of the matchup on ESPN+ with Wes Chandler on the PxP and Kent Miller as analyst. The radio call will be on ESPN700 with Tyson Ewing and Milee Rustand calling the action.
LAST TIME OUT
The Utah women's basketball team fell 70-52 to BYU in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament. Utah was led by Lani White with 20 points. Maty Wilke added eight points, while Chyra Evans chipped in six. Evans led the Utes on the glass with eight rebounds, followed by Reese Ross with six. LA Sneed paced the team with five assists.
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 40.1% from the field, 34.7% from three and 86.4% from the line while averaging 10.5 points per game. She's averaging 3.4 rebounds and has 70 assists so far this season. Wilke has 1,206 total points in her collegiate career. She has also hit 238 career made three pointers, pulled down 361 career rebounds and posted 258 career assists.
LANI'S CHARISMA
White earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors heading into the Big 12 Tournament. She has logged 10 20-point games this season and has scored in double figures 17 of the last 19 games. Currently leads the Utes with 15.8 points per game. She's shooting 46.2% from the field, 40.4% from three and 82.7% from the free throw line. She's second on the team in rebounding pulling down 148 total on the year and averages 4.8 rebounds a game. She leads the team with 165 made field goals and is first on the team with 69 made three pointers.
Lani White hit a hot streak. She scored 20 or more points and hit five or more made three pointers in back-to-back games (Boise State, 12/10 and Northwestern 12/14). She posted a career-high 26 points and a career-high 7-of-7 from three point range against Northwestern (12/14). She knocked down 12 straight three pointers without a single miss. She matched her career-high scoring by hitting 26 points against Arizona (12/21) including a career-high 11 made field goals.
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 38-20 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 EASTERN KENTUCKY
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels women's basketball enter postseason play with a 24-8 overall record.
Eastern Kentucky is led by head coach Greg Todd, who is in his fourth season at the helm of EKU and owns a 79-50 overall record.
Eastern Kentucky is averaging 72.6 points per game while allowing 59.1 points per contest. The Colonels are shooting 42.4% from the field, 31.5% from three-point range, and 74.0% from the free-throw line this season. On the glass, EKU is averaging 39.1 rebounds per game, compared to opponents' 36.5 rebounds per game.
Eastern Kentucky has four players averaging double figures: Joseana Vaz (13.9), Liz Freihofer (12.5), Ndidiamaka Ndukwe (10.6), and Kenleigh Woods (10.5). Vaz leads the Cougars in scoring at 13.9 points per game, shooting 41.8% from the field, 32.6% from three-point range, and 69.8% from the free-throw line, while adding 6.8 rebounds per game.
Utah leads the all-time series 1-0 against Eastern Kentucky. This will be the second meeting between the two teams. Utah won the previous matchup 117-72 on Nov. 19, 2023.
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
• The Utes ended the season sitting at No. 58 in the Net Rankings.
• This is the Utes fifth consecutive postseason berth after earning bids to the NCAA Tournament the previous four seasons.
• This will be the Utes' 32nd overall appearance in the postseason and second under Petersen.
• The last time Utah went to a postseason other than the NCAA Tournament was in 2017-18 when Utah played in the Women's NIT and made it to the second round after defeating UNLV in the first round 78-68.
• Lani White has scored in double figures in 17 of the last 19 games.
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.
• Utah downed No. 8 TCU (1/3) in overtime 87-77 handing the Frogs their first loss of the season. This was the 11th Top-10 win in school history and the fourth consecutive season the Utes have downed a Top-10 team. It also marked the first time in program history that Utah has picked up a Top-10 win in four straight seasons.
• Against No. 1 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 at least five made threes in a game so far on the season.
• Lani White holds the season high with most points scored in a game with 26 twice (Northwestern 12/14, Arizona 12/21).
• Utah had a season high of 25 assists against Utah State (11/7) including a career-high nine from LA Sneed. Sneed's nine also marks a season high for Utah.
• The Utes best rebounding game of the season came against Boise State where Utah had 56 total boards.
• The Utes knocked down 14 from beyond the arc for the most threes made in a game this season against Boise State (12/10).
• Against BYU (2/21), the Utes recorded 33 points in the fourth quarter for the most points scored in a quarter this season. Utah and BYU broke the record for most total combined points scored in a single quarter in a Big 12 league game with 63 total points in the fourth quarter (2/21). Utah posted 33 while BYU had 30 of its own.
• Utah is top 50 nationally in five major statistical categories:
No. 40 assists per game (16.3)
No. 31 defensive rebounds per game (28.1)
No. 23 three point attempts (25.7)
No. 51 three point percentage (34.3)
No. 14 three pointers per game (8.9)
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
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballUtah: 66, Cincinnati: 73 | Big 12 Tournament | Utah Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Wednesday, March 11
Utah: 75, Baylor: 101 | Utah Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, March 08
Utah: 78, Colorado: 92 | Utah Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Wednesday, March 04
Utah: 81, Colorado: 67 | Women's Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, March 01