BYU ready to begin March Madness against Villanova

PROVO, Utah – No. 6 seed BYU and No. 11 Villanova will play in the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament on Saturday, March 19 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. EDT at the Crisler Center. The game will be televised on ESPN News and broadcast on BYU Radio SiriusXM 143 and 107.9 FM, BYURadio.org/BYU Radio app, BYUCougars.com/BYU Cougars app, BYU Gameday app.

No. 6 seed BYU vs. No. 11 seed Villanova
NCAA Tournament First Round
Saturday, March 19
1 p.m. EDT
TV/Stream: ESPN News
Live Stats
On Twitter: @BYUwbb

BYU Game Notes (26-3, 15-1)

• WCC REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPS: BYU won its fifth regular-season conference title under Judkins with a 15-1 record in league play.
• IT’S BEEN A WHILE: Villanova won the only previous matchup back in 1995, a 61-58 win at the Dead River Tip-Off Tournament in Maine.
• TOURNEY TIME: This BYU’s 15th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 11th under head coach Jeff Judkins. The No. 6 seed tops the program’s previous high mark of a No. 7 seed, reached three different times (2019, 2016, 2006). BYU has won at least one game in the NCAA Tournament five times and advanced to the Sweet 16 twice (2014, 2002). Last year as a No. 11 seed, BYU beat No. 6 seed Rutgers 69-66 before falling to No. 3 seed Arizona 52-46 in the second round.
• AWARDS: Judkins won the WCC Coach of the Year for the second-consecutive year. It was his third WCC honor and sixth award for his career. Judkins is 1 of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year Award. Shaylee Gonzales was named the WCC Player of the Year for the second-consecutive year. Gonzales was also named a Second Team All-American by The Athletic and an AP All-America honorable mention. She is a finalist for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award. In addition to Gonzales, Paisley Harding and Lauren Gustin were also named All-WCC First Team selections while Tegan Graham was an honorable mention.
• AP RANKING: BYU finished at No. 20 in the final AP rankings, tying the program’s best final ranking (1980). The Cougars spent 16 consecutive weeks in the poll, besting the previous mark by almost double (9 in 2006).
• STATS: Heading into the tournament, BYU ranked No. 5  in scoring margin at +19.6 points per game, No. 11 in scoring offense at 77.8 points per game. The Cougars are No. 2 in assists per game (20.0) and No. 3 in assist to turnover ratio (1.53), No. 5 in field goal percentage (46.7) and No. 25 in field goal percentage defense (36.0).