No. 8 Utah (19-11, 10-8) vs. No. 9 BYU (21-10, 9-9)
Big 12 women’s basketball tournament, second round
- Tip: Thursday, 12:30 p.m. MST
- Venue: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City
- Streaming: ESPN+
- Radio: 700 AM
- Series: Utah leads the series 70-43, though BYU won both regular-season matchups between the two schools. Prior to that, the Utes had four straight wins in the series.
The trends
For Utah: The Utes won their final two games of the regular season to earn a first-round bye in the Big 12 tournament. That included a road win over Colorado and convincing victory over Arizona on Senior Night.
For BYU: The Cougars have won four straight, including a victory over Utah in Salt Lake City back on Feb. 21. BYU won its first-round matchup over Houston at the Big 12 tournament Wednesday to advance.
Players to watch
Lani White, Utah guard: The All-Big 12 second-team senior leads the Utes by averaging 15.6 points per game on 46.6% from the field and 40.5% from 3. White has made 66 3-pointers this year and also is averaging 4.7 rebounds per game.
Delaney Gibb, BYU guard: Gibb earned All-Big 12 first-team honors as a sophomore, after being named the league’s freshman of the year last season. She is averaging a team-high 17.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game, while shooting 37.8% from the field and 30.5% from 3.
What’s at stake
Thursday’s winner will face No. 1 TCU on Friday in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals. That game will tip at 12:30 p.m. MST and will be televised on ESPNU.
Utah beat TCU in the two schools’ only meeting this season, beating the Horned Frogs 87-77 in overtime on Jan. 3 for TCU’s first loss of the year. White scored 25 points to pace the Utes in the upset over the then-No. 8 Horned Frogs.
Three days prior to late, BYU fell 72-48 to TCU at the Marriott Center in the only matchup this season between the programs. Five Horned Frogs scored in double-figures, as TCU pulled away late in the third quarter and into the fourth.
Why NCAA hopes are on the line
Both Utah and BYU are NCAA bubble teams this season, and Thursday’s matchup is essentially an elimination game for the loser.
The Utes are No. 55 in the NET rankings and have a 2-2 record against Quad 1 opponents and 4-8 against Quad 2. In several up-to-date bracketology projections, Utah is listed among the first four out.
The Cougars are No. 57 in the latest NET rankings and are 0-4 against Quad 1 opponents and 8-2 against Quad 2. BYU likely needs a longer run in the Big 12 tournament to get back in the NCAA picture, thanks to its 0-4 record against Quad 1 teams.