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Northwestern, Utah Set For Thursday Night Clash On BTN
11/13/2024 10:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
'Cats, Utes to meet for the third time
LAST TIME OUT
Visiting Lehigh shot north of 50 percent from beyond the three-point arc, knocking down 18 triples, as it dealt Northwestern an 85-68 defeat this past Sunday inside Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Taylor Williams turned in an impressive performance to lead the 'Cats, finishing with 22 points (9-15 FGs, 4-8 FTs) and 11 rebounds to secure the 29th double-double of her collegiate career. Caroline Lau cracked the 10-assist mark for the fourth time as a Wildcat, handing out a game-best 12 assists while being guilty of only one turnover. Fresh off a 28-point effort in her Northwestern debut, Kyla Jones finished with 11 points (5-9 FGs, 1-2 FTs) and three steals. Casey Harter reached double figures in scoring for the second time in as many games, contributing 10 points (4-10, 2-5 3FGs).
SCOUTING UTAH
Utah (2-0) has raced out of the gate this season, posting dominant wins over Southern Utah, 105-52, and Weber State, 86-46, respectively. The Utes, who finished last season at 23-11 (11-7 Pac-12), are led by 2023-24 Pac-12 Coach of the Year Lynne Roberts, who has piloted Utah to three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Now a member of the Big 12 Conference, Utah return four starters from last season's squad that advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. That quartet is led by Gianna Kneepkens, a 2022-23 Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-American who saw her 2023-24 season cut short due to a knee injury. Kneepkens has averaged 16.5 points across the first two games of this season, a mark that puts her behind only Maya Toure (18.0 ppg) on the team's scoring chart.
Toure and Kneepkens lead a balanced Utah attack that boasts five players currently averaging in double figures in scoring.
SERIES STUFF
Northwestern and Utah are set to meet for just the third time on Thursday evening.
The Wildcats and Utes have split the previous two encounters, with each team defending its home floor in the series. Utah prevailed in the most recent meeting, 80-69, back on December 20, 2006 at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
UP NEXT
Northwestern wraps up its current homestand on Saturday, November 23 when it takes on Harvard in a 12 p.m. tip-off inside Welsh-Ryan Arena.
