Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Western Colorado (EXHIBITION) on October 27, 2025 at TBD
TBD
Women's Basketball
vs Western Colorado (EXHIBITION)
Friday, January 31
Salt Lake City, Utah
6:30 PM
University of Utah
16-5,7-3Big 12
67
vs
58
Arizona
14-9,5-5Big 12
1
2
3
4
F
Arizona
13
11
15
19
58
Utah
13
21
12
21
67
Utah Prevails in 67-58 Victory Over Arizona
1/31/2025 10:45 PM | Women's Basketball
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah women's basketball team picked up a 67-58 victory over the Arizona Wildcats on Friday night.
Utah's 9-0 run late in the fourth quarter pushed the Utes to a six point lead in the final minutes of the game. Arizona surged back to make it a two point game but Jenna Johnson hit a dagger of a three with just under a minute to play to secure the win for Utah. The Utes were led by Gianna Kneepkens' 28 points and Mayé Touré's 11 rebounds. Utah is now 16-5 overall on the season and sit at 7-3 in Big 12 play.
GAME SUMMARY
Gianna Kneepkens scored Utah's first seven points in the game that pushed Utah to a 7-4 edge. Utah and Arizona matched each other with neither team gaining any momentum for a tied 13-13 game at the end of the first quarter.
The Utes shifted momentum to their favor late in the second quarter thanks to a 9-0 run that was sparked by back-to-back threes from Matyson Wilke and Kneepkens. Utah didn't allow Arizona a single field goal the final four minutes of the first half and pulled out for a 34-24 lead at the half.
Utah started the second half on an 8-0 run to push out for a 42-24 lead. Arizona answered with an 11-0 run and held Utah scoreless for over five minutes of play. Utah was able to hold on to a 46-39 lead going into the final quarter of play.
Arizona started the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run to take a 50-46 lead over Utah. The Utes answered with a 9-0 run to take a 60-54 lead heading into the final two minutes of play. Arizona made a surge to bring the score within two points but Jenna Johnson knocked one down from beyond the arc to spark a 7-0 run in the final minute of play. When the final buzzer sounded Utah claimed the 67-58 victory.
LEADERS
Utah had three players score in double figures and were led by Gianna Kneepkens' 28 points where she recorded three from beyond the arc and a perfect 9-of-9 from the charity stripe. Matyson Wilke posted 14 points going 6-of-8 from the field. Jenna Johnson had 10 points with a welcomed six rebounds and four assists to help out the Utes.
Mayé Touré had the game high eleven rebounds and three blocks.
COMPARISON
Utah shot 48.9% from the field while Arizona shot 38.3% from the field. Utah went 33.3% from deep making 7-of-21 while Arizona went 27.8% shooting 5-of-18. The Utes went 16-of-23 from the free throw line for 69.6% while the Wildcats went 7-of-10 for 70.0%.
Utah had 15 assists on 22 made field goals while Arizona had 12 assists on 23 made field goals. The Utes outrebounded the Wildcats 38-29.
NOTABLES
Gianna Kneepkens' 28 points marks her fourth consecutive game putting up 20 or more points in a game. Her three assists in the game also pushed her over 200 total assists in her career.
Utah has now defeated Arizona in four of the last six match ups in the Huntsman Center.
HEAR FROM THE UTES
Head Coach Gavin Petersen
Overall Statement . . .
"It was a sloppy third quarter that made for an interesting game for the fans in attendance and watching on TV. I am proud of our grit and our collective competitiveness down the stretch. There was a point in the fourth quarter where I think our players got a little upset and they took it upon themselves to do whatever it took to get that win. We have to be able to settle in and handle that pressure. It was a good learning experience after a win for once."
On Matyson Wilke's performance . . .
"I'm just glad she shot the ball more than four times. Both her and Gianna [Kneepkens] hear me say 'shoot it' all the time. They both know I have the utmost confidence in them. They have the green light to take any shot that they think is a good shot and let it fly. I'm happy Maty got aggressive in the fourth quarter because it was needed."
Gianna Kneepkens, junior, guard
On the team banding together . . .
"I think what was big for us tonight was our experience. Unfortunately, we've been in that position before. You try not to be but it's part of basketball. Arizona was doing a great job of getting us in positions where we were on our heels a little. We came together and decided we needed to be more aggressive than them. We started figuring it out at the end and it helped we were in the bonus."
On her confidence level right now . . .
"Honestly, I'm just trying to win the games. I have teammates that find me on open threes. But, I think when you're in the gym and are practicing game reps it's not any different when you get to the actual games because you've been there 100 plus times. I've been practicing how I play and just shooting the ball confidently."
Matyson Wilke, junior, guard
On her performance tonight . . .
"I was finally aggressive. The last couple games I haven't played to the level I know I can and the level my teammates know I can. Having guards like Kennady [McQueen], Inês [Vieira] and Gianna [Kneepkens] out there with me really opens up shots for me. I was working with Gavin [Petersen] this week and that really helped get my confidence back where it needed to be."
On Gianna Kneepkens . . .
"Gianna's in the gym every day. I go in there and she already has a sweat going. She is working on her game every day. She's confident in herself but knowing that she is doing what she has to do for the team gives everyone confidence in her too. I don't think people understand, yeah, she's good but she has worked so hard to be where she is. People need to know how hard she works. I'm proud of her and lucky to have a teammate that pushes me to be at that same level."
UP NEXT
Utah will head to Texas Tech Feb. 5 before returning home to Salt Lake City to host UCF on Feb. 8.
OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF UTAH ATHLETICS – UTAH 360
The official mobile app of Utah Athletics is Utah 360. Download it today to unlock a refreshed game-day experience, from managing tickets to mobile concessions ordering, as well as video content, news and information, schedules, rosters and stats. The app is available in both the Apple Store (download) and Google Play (download). Add it today, access your game tickets and download them to your smartphone's wallet to make yourself game-day ready.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along during the 2024-25 season on social media (Twitter: @UtahWBB | Instagram: @UtahWBB | Facebook: Facebook.com/UtahWBB).
Utah's 9-0 run late in the fourth quarter pushed the Utes to a six point lead in the final minutes of the game. Arizona surged back to make it a two point game but Jenna Johnson hit a dagger of a three with just under a minute to play to secure the win for Utah. The Utes were led by Gianna Kneepkens' 28 points and Mayé Touré's 11 rebounds. Utah is now 16-5 overall on the season and sit at 7-3 in Big 12 play.
GAME SUMMARY
Gianna Kneepkens scored Utah's first seven points in the game that pushed Utah to a 7-4 edge. Utah and Arizona matched each other with neither team gaining any momentum for a tied 13-13 game at the end of the first quarter.
The Utes shifted momentum to their favor late in the second quarter thanks to a 9-0 run that was sparked by back-to-back threes from Matyson Wilke and Kneepkens. Utah didn't allow Arizona a single field goal the final four minutes of the first half and pulled out for a 34-24 lead at the half.
Utah started the second half on an 8-0 run to push out for a 42-24 lead. Arizona answered with an 11-0 run and held Utah scoreless for over five minutes of play. Utah was able to hold on to a 46-39 lead going into the final quarter of play.
Arizona started the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run to take a 50-46 lead over Utah. The Utes answered with a 9-0 run to take a 60-54 lead heading into the final two minutes of play. Arizona made a surge to bring the score within two points but Jenna Johnson knocked one down from beyond the arc to spark a 7-0 run in the final minute of play. When the final buzzer sounded Utah claimed the 67-58 victory.
LEADERS
Utah had three players score in double figures and were led by Gianna Kneepkens' 28 points where she recorded three from beyond the arc and a perfect 9-of-9 from the charity stripe. Matyson Wilke posted 14 points going 6-of-8 from the field. Jenna Johnson had 10 points with a welcomed six rebounds and four assists to help out the Utes.
Mayé Touré had the game high eleven rebounds and three blocks.
COMPARISON
Utah shot 48.9% from the field while Arizona shot 38.3% from the field. Utah went 33.3% from deep making 7-of-21 while Arizona went 27.8% shooting 5-of-18. The Utes went 16-of-23 from the free throw line for 69.6% while the Wildcats went 7-of-10 for 70.0%.
Utah had 15 assists on 22 made field goals while Arizona had 12 assists on 23 made field goals. The Utes outrebounded the Wildcats 38-29.
NOTABLES
Gianna Kneepkens' 28 points marks her fourth consecutive game putting up 20 or more points in a game. Her three assists in the game also pushed her over 200 total assists in her career.
Utah has now defeated Arizona in four of the last six match ups in the Huntsman Center.
HEAR FROM THE UTES
Head Coach Gavin Petersen
Overall Statement . . .
"It was a sloppy third quarter that made for an interesting game for the fans in attendance and watching on TV. I am proud of our grit and our collective competitiveness down the stretch. There was a point in the fourth quarter where I think our players got a little upset and they took it upon themselves to do whatever it took to get that win. We have to be able to settle in and handle that pressure. It was a good learning experience after a win for once."
On Matyson Wilke's performance . . .
"I'm just glad she shot the ball more than four times. Both her and Gianna [Kneepkens] hear me say 'shoot it' all the time. They both know I have the utmost confidence in them. They have the green light to take any shot that they think is a good shot and let it fly. I'm happy Maty got aggressive in the fourth quarter because it was needed."
Gianna Kneepkens, junior, guard
On the team banding together . . .
"I think what was big for us tonight was our experience. Unfortunately, we've been in that position before. You try not to be but it's part of basketball. Arizona was doing a great job of getting us in positions where we were on our heels a little. We came together and decided we needed to be more aggressive than them. We started figuring it out at the end and it helped we were in the bonus."
On her confidence level right now . . .
"Honestly, I'm just trying to win the games. I have teammates that find me on open threes. But, I think when you're in the gym and are practicing game reps it's not any different when you get to the actual games because you've been there 100 plus times. I've been practicing how I play and just shooting the ball confidently."
Matyson Wilke, junior, guard
On her performance tonight . . .
"I was finally aggressive. The last couple games I haven't played to the level I know I can and the level my teammates know I can. Having guards like Kennady [McQueen], Inês [Vieira] and Gianna [Kneepkens] out there with me really opens up shots for me. I was working with Gavin [Petersen] this week and that really helped get my confidence back where it needed to be."
On Gianna Kneepkens . . .
"Gianna's in the gym every day. I go in there and she already has a sweat going. She is working on her game every day. She's confident in herself but knowing that she is doing what she has to do for the team gives everyone confidence in her too. I don't think people understand, yeah, she's good but she has worked so hard to be where she is. People need to know how hard she works. I'm proud of her and lucky to have a teammate that pushes me to be at that same level."
UP NEXT
Utah will head to Texas Tech Feb. 5 before returning home to Salt Lake City to host UCF on Feb. 8.
OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF UTAH ATHLETICS – UTAH 360
The official mobile app of Utah Athletics is Utah 360. Download it today to unlock a refreshed game-day experience, from managing tickets to mobile concessions ordering, as well as video content, news and information, schedules, rosters and stats. The app is available in both the Apple Store (download) and Google Play (download). Add it today, access your game tickets and download them to your smartphone's wallet to make yourself game-day ready.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along during the 2024-25 season on social media (Twitter: @UtahWBB | Instagram: @UtahWBB | Facebook: Facebook.com/UtahWBB).
Team Stats
UA
Utah
FG%
.383
.489
3FG%
.278
.333
FT%
.700
.696
RB
29
38
TO
13
22
STL
12
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
28
FGM
8
3FGM
3
FTM
9
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
5
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballG
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