UP NEXT: No. 19 Utah hosts California Sunday

Sunday, January 14

Salt Lake City, UT

12:00 PM

University of Utah

California

1/13/2024 6:57 AM | Women's Basketball

WBB Game Notes vs. Cal

SALT LAKE CITY – The No. 19 Utah Utes (11-5, 1-3 Pac-12) stay in the Jon M. Huntsman Center to take on the #RV California Golden Bears on January 14 at high noon.

GAME INFORMATION
No. 19 Utah (11-5, 1-3 Pac-12) vs. #RV California (14-1, 3-0 Pac-12)
DATE | TIME: Sunday, Jan.14 | Noon MT
LOCATION: Salt Lake City | Jon M. Huntsman Center
LIVE STATS: Click Here
LIVE STREAM: Click Here
TV: Pac-12 Networks
LISTEN: Click Here
TWITTER UPDATES: @UtahWBB

TUNE IN
Fans can watch the matchup on Pac-12 Networks with Krista Blunk and Maylana Douglas calling the action. The radio call will be on ESPN 700, with Tyson Ewing handling play-by-play and Milee Enger as analyst. Live stats are on UtahUtes.com.

OPENING TIP
The Utes have posted a 11-5 record overall on the season and are 1-3 in the Pac-12 season. Utah is 6-1 in the Huntsman Center this season and snapped a 22-game win streak at home after Utah's 66-64 loss to Stanford on January 12. Utah has a 15-14 record against the Bears in school history and are 6-5 in the Huntsman.

LAST TIME OUT
Utah trailed by five points with just under three minutes remaining. Alissa Pili knocked down a pair of free throws and executed a second chance driving layup to bring the score within one point with just under a minute remaining. Pili put up a three point attempt with two seconds on the clock that fell short for the chance to win.

Utah had three Utes score in double figures and were led by Pili who had 16 points. Jenna Johnson also had an impressive game with 15 points going 6-8 from the field including 3-3 from beyond the arc.

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 this week. She earned Preseason AP All-American Honorable Mention as well as being named to the Katrina McClain Preseason Watchlist, Naismith Trophy Watchlist and the WBCA Wade Trophy Preseason Watchlist. 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). After that 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. 19 in the latest AP Top 25 polls. Utah has been ranked in the Top 25 for nine consecutive weeks. Utah is No. 7 in the NCAA Net Rankings and No. 18 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Utah is one of five Pac-12 schools currently in the Top 25 with four other schools 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. 9 scoring team averaging 86.1 points per game. Utah is No. 7 in the nation in field goal percentage (50.5%). The Utes are No. 1 in the nation in assists per game averaging 22.1 assists per game. Utah is also the nation's best three point shooting team averaging 12.1 made three pointers a game and No. 4 in three point percentage (39.8). 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 150-109 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 CALIFORNIA
The #RV Cal Golden Bears have a 12-4 overall record and are 2-2 in Pac-12 play. The Golden Bears are coming off a 76-61 loss to No. 5 Colorado. Cal is on a one-game losing streak.
Cal has three Bears averaging double figures and are led by Ioanna Krimili who averages 15.7 points per game. Marta Suarez is another big contributor for Cal with 13.5 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game.
This will be the 30th meeting between the two teams. Utah has a 15-14 overall record against Cal. Utah is on a five-game win streak in the series and have a 6-5 record against the Bears in Salt Lake City. Utah hasn't lost to Cal at home since the 2019-20 season.The last time the two teams met up was Feb. 23, 2023 where Utah defeated Cal 101-76.

NOTABLES
(all statistical rankings are updated through games of 1/12/24)

Ranked No. 19 in this week's AP Top 25 Polls
Utah has been ranked for nine 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 6-1 in the Huntsman Center this year and snapped a 22-game win streak at home after falling to Stanford (Jan. 12)
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 (22.5), Gianna Kneepkens (17.8) and Isabel Palmer (14).
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 the nation's ninth best scoring team and ranked in the top 10 nationally in eight major statistical categories:
- No. 9 scoring (86.1)
- No. 8 in assist/turnover ratio (1.52)
- No. 1 in assists per game (22.1)
- No. 7 field goal percentage (50.5)
- No. 4 scoring margin (+28.1)
- No. 4 in three point percentage (39.8)
- No. 1 in made three pointers per game (12.1)
- No. 1 in three point attempts per game (30.5)
Alissa Pili is No. 7 in the nation in made field goals (130). She's also No. 10 in points per game (22.1).
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.
Inês Vieira is No. 8 in the country in total assists with 104 on the year and No.9 in assists per game averaging 6.5.
Kennady McQueen has stepped up her performance from beyond the arc and sits at No. 31 in the nation in three point percentage (43.9).
The Utes are coming off a historic 2022-23 season including a Pac-12 regular season title and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearancea
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 stay at the Huntsman hosting No. 9 USC on January 19 before hosting No. 2 UCLA Jan. 22 at 5 p.m.

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