WCC action at San Francisco Thursday, home Saturday

PROVO, Utah —In a three-way tie with Pacific and Santa Clara for first place in the latest West Coast Conference standings, BYU women’s basketball (9-6, 3-1) continues league play this week with a road and a home game.

BYU at USF Game Notes

The Cougar women are in northern California on Thursday, January 12, at 7 p.m. PT., to take on San Francisco (8-7, 2-2). A video stream of the game is available on TheW.tv.

On Saturday, January 14, BYU returns home to host San Diego in an early 12 p.m., tip. That game will be carried live on BYUtv and simulcast on BYU Radio.

BYU AT A GLANCE
BYU’s offensive presence comes from three players that are putting up double figures in points. Junior guard Cassie Broadhead, who leads the WCC in scoring, tops the leaderboard averaging 17.6 points and 3.8 rebounds a game. Senior guard Makenzi Pulsipher contributes 12.9 points and 3.9 boards a contest. Senior All-American Kalani Purcell rounds out the double digit scoring with her 12.7 points and a team-high 9.6 boards per game. Purcell leads the WCC in the rebounds category.

The Cougars are scoring 65.4 points per game while shooting 42.3 percent from the field, 33.5 percent from behind the arc and 70.0 percent from the free throw line. The team also pulls down 35.7 rebounds a contest.

In this year’s West Coast Conference preseason poll chosen by the coaches, BYU, the defending regular season conference champion, was selected to finish second in the league race behind Gonzaga. Purcell and Pulsipher were named to the Preseason All-Conference team.

Currently in league games, BYU leads in scoring defense, scoring margin, field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage and in assists.

• Head coach: Jeff Judkins (Utah, ‘78), 16th season
• Team’s leading scorer: #20 C. Broadhead, 17.6 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #32 K. Purcell, 9.6 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #32 K. Purcell, 4.7 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #32 K. Purcell, 2.1 spg
• Team’s blocks leader: #20 C. Broadhead, .93 bpg

SAN FRANCISCO AT A GLANCE
The San Francisco Dons enter this week’s action with an 8-7, 2-2 record. They’ve recorded league wins over Santa Clara and San Diego.

USF returns 10 letterwinners and three starters from last year’s team that compiled a 21-12, 9-9 record, won the WCC Championship and competed in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Rachel Howard leads the way in scoring for the Dons with 13.5 points and 5.1 rebounds a contest. Kalyn Simon follows with her 11.0 points and 3.4 boards a game. Rounding out the double digit scoring is Anna Seilund, who chips in 10.1 points and 3.7 rebounds. Michaela Rakova tops the leaderboard in the rebound category pulling down a team-best 5.7 boards a game.

USF is scoring 66.3 points per game while shooting 40.5 percent from the field, 32.3 percent from 3-point range and 75.5 percent from the free-throw line. The Dons grab 39.1 rebounds a game.

• Head coach: Molly Goodenbour (Stanford, ‘93), First season
• Team’s leading scorer: #11 R. Howard, 13.5 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #14 M. Rakova, 5.7 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #21 A. Seilund, 3.7 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #21 A. Seilund, 1.8 spg
• Team’s blocks leader: #14 M. Rakova, .93 bpg

THE SERIES
BYU leads the all-time series vs. San Francisco, 12-3. Last season, the Cougars swept the series over the Dons. The two met for a third time in the WCC championship game in Las Vegas at The Orleans Arena. In that game, USF beat BYU 70-68. When playing in San Francisco, BYU has a 6-1 mark and head coach Jeff Judkins is 12-3 against USF.

SAN DIEGO AT A GLANCE
San Diego has compiled a 7-7, 1-3 record to date. USD’s league win was over Saint Mary’s.  On Thursday, San Diego is at Santa Clara before traveling to Provo for Saturday’s battle with the Cougars.

The Toreros return 12 letterwinners and four starters from last year’s team that went 25-7, 14-4. USD advanced to the WNIT Sweet 16 last season.

Katherine Hamilton leads the way for San Diego averaging 10.0 points and 3.6 rebounds a game. Caroline Buhr tops the leaderboard in the rebound category pulling down 5.0 boards a game.  San Diego is without their leading scorer Maya Hood after she suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the ninth game of the year. She was averaging 18.1 points and 8.1 rebounds a contest prior to her injury.

USD is averaging 69.6 points per game, is averaging 42.1 percent shooting from the field, 23.5 percent from 3-point land and 70.3 percent from the free-throw line.

• Head coach: Cindy Fisher (Arizona State, ‘88), 11th season
• Team’s leading scorer: #25 K. Hamilton, 10.0 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #24 C. Buhr, 5.0 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #32 C. Woodward, 4.6 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #25 K. Hamilton, 1.5 spg
• Team’s blocks leader: #44 S. Williams, 1.4 bpg

THE SERIES
BYU leads the series 9-3. When playing in Provo, the Toreros have a 0-5 mark. Head coach Jeff Judkins has a 9-3 record against San Diego. During last year’s WCC race, each team won on its home court.

COMING UP
After the two league games this week, BYU continues league play at Pepperdine on Thursday, Jan. 19. The Cougar women are next at home on Saturday, Jan. 21, when they host Pacific.