Two at home this week

With a 6-4 record and a three-game win streak, BYU women’s basketball continues play at home this week.
The Cougars host UC Santa Barbara (4-5) on Tuesday at 2 p.m. MST. Then on Thursday, Seattle University (3-5) makes an appearance in the Marriott Center. That game is set to tip off at 3 p.m. MST. Both games can be seen live on BYUtv.

BYU Capsule
On the season, BYU has outrebounded its opponents in six of the games played, including the last four. In all but two contests (at Boston College and at Washington State) the Cougars have dished out more assists than their opponents. BYU has enjoyed a halftime lead in all but one game to date (at Washington State). For the first time this year the Cougars had four players put up double digits in points in the home win over Tulsa.

• Head coach: Jeff Judkins (Utah, ‘78), enters his 12th season
• Team’s leading scorer: #5 Jennifer Hamson, 12.7 ppg*
• Team’s leading rebounder: #5 Hamson, 10.3 rpg
• Team’s assist leader: #33 Haley Steed, 7.2 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #33 Steed, 2.0 spg
*Has only played in three games, rejoins the team now after the volleyball season concluded

UC Santa Barbara Capsule
UCSB has compiled a 4-5 record to date, picking up wins over New Mexico Sate, Mississippi State, LMU and Washington. It enters the week on a two-game win streak. When playing on the road, the Gauchos are 2-1. The team returns eight letterwinners including three starters. Last year UCSB concluded the season with a 17-16 record, going 8-8 for a sixth place finish in the Big West campaign. They won the Big West Championship and participated in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

• Head coach: Carlene Mitchell is in her second year with UCSB
• Team’s leading scorer: #01 Sweets Underwood, 12.1 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #01 Underwood, 8.7 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #3 Nicole Nesbit, 2.8 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #3 Nesbit,1.3 spg

Series History
UCSB leads the series 4-3
Head coach Jeff Judkins is 2-1 against the Gauchos

Last Meeting
BYU and UC Santa Barbara have not played each other since the 2007-08 season when the Cougars defeated the Gauchos on their home court 61-50 on Nov. 9, 2007. The game was the season opener for both teams.

Seattle Capsule
The Redhawks are 3-5 on the season, 3-3 at home and 0-2 on the road. Seattle returns five letterwinners and three starters that last year compiled a 20-12 record. This is the first year that the university will compete in the Western Athletic Conference. The team’s three wins are over Portland, Sacred Heart and Portland State. Three players are scoring in double figures for the Redhawks.

• Head coach: Joan Bonvicini is in her fourth year with Seattle
• Team’s leading scorer: #41 Kacie Sowell, 18.5 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #41 Sowell, 10.3 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #1 Sylvia Shephard, 5.3 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #1 Shephard, 4.3 spg

Series History
BYU leads the series 1-0

Last Meeting
The two teams played for the first time last season in Seattle on Jan. 25, 2012. In that game the Cougars walked away with a 69-55 victory. Senior Kristen Riley picked up a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Kim Parker Beeston and Stephanie Vermunt Seaborn finished in double figures as well with 15 and 14, respectively. BYU shot 50 percent from the field and 42 percent from the 3-point line while holding Seattle to shooting just 28.6 percent from the field and 21.7 percent from behind the arc. A long Haley Steed 3-pointer opened the game for BYU. Two back-to-back treys by Vermunt and Parker were part of a 9-0 run to give the Cougars a 19-10 lead. Riley took BYU to a double-figure lead on a jumper and Vermunt’s third 3 of the night took the score to 33-20 as the half wound down. Heading into the locker room, the Cougars were up 36-22. In the second half BYU got off to a quick start extending its lead to 21 points. Seattle battled back in the final minutes of the game but were unable to get any closer, eventually losing by 14 points.

Up Next
BYU plays one more home game this month before preparing for the 2013 West Coast Conference campaign. The Cougars host Western New Mexico on Saturday, Dec. 29 at 4 p.m. , MST. That game can be seen live on BYUtv. The 2013 WCC race begins for BYU on Jan. 5 when they get set to host San Francisco.