One on the road, one at home

BYU women’s basketball (10-4, 1-0) begins the second week of West Coast Conference action with two games, one on the road and one at home.

On Thursday, the team is at San Diego (9-5, 1-1) in an 8 p.m., MST tip off. BYU returns home to host Pepperdine (3-9, 0-1) Saturday at 2 p.m. The Cougars were selected to finish first in conference play as voted by the league’s coaches. Last year BYU finished second with a 12-4 record, winning its first WCC championship and representing the league as the automatic qualifier in the NCAA tournament.

BYU Capsule
BYU has outrebounded its opponents in nine of the games played, including the last seven. In all but two contests (at Boston College and at Washington State) the Cougars dished out more assists than their opponents. BYU has enjoyed a halftime lead in all but two games to date (vs. Seattle and at Washington State). On the season, the BYU bench has outscored the opponent’s bench 279-186. When comparing points in the paint, the Cougars have scored 392 points to 330 from opponents. In the team’s first league win over San Francisco, five players scored in double figures, a first on the year. In 2011-12 there were two games where five players put up double digits in scoring.

• Head coach: Jeff Judkins (Utah, ‘78), enters his 12th season
• Team’s leading scorer: #5 Jennifer Hamson, 13.5 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #5 Hamson, 8.8 rpg
• Team’s assist leader: #33 Haley Steed, 7.6 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #33 Steed, 2.1 spg

GAME PROMOTIONS for Saturday game vs. Pepperdine
Ward Night - bring your entire ward for $15. Go to the Marriott Center ticket office and ask for the number of tickets you will need to cover your ward.

BYU’S PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
#33 Haley Steed – (5-4 guard, GS.) 8.6 ppg; 4.3 rpg; 7.6 apg
#4 Kim Parker Beeston – (5-11 guard, Jr.) 10.3 ppg; 3.8 rpg; 2.4 apg
#11 Xojian Harry – (5-10 guard, So.) 4.4 ppg; 1.5 rpg; 0.6 apg
#45 Keilani Unga – (6-2 forward, Sr.) 5.9 ppg; 4.1 rpg; 1.1 apg
#5 Jennifer Hamson – (6-7 center, Jr.) 13.5 ppg; 8.8 rpg; 0.7 apg

San Diego Capsule
After one week of league action, the University of San Diego has compiled a 1-1 mark in WCC play and is 9-5 overall. Both league contests were on the road, losing to Gonzaga 77-57 and then beating the Pilots in Portland 69-63. The game vs. the Cougars is San Diego’s first conference game at home, where they are 6-2 on the year. The Toreros return nine letterwinners and two starters from last year’s team that finished with a 26-9, 12-4 record (tied for second with BYU in WCC action) and went to the Final Four of the WNIT.

• Head coach: Cindy Fisher is in her 7th year at San Diego
• Team’s leading scorer: #10 Amy Kame, 16.6 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #21 Klara Wischer, 7.9 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #10 Kame, 3.9 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #10 Kame, 2.9 spg

Series History
BYU leads the series 4-0

Last Meeting
BYU and San Diego met three times during last year’s WCC schedule. The Cougars won all three meetings, picking up a 62-53 victory in San Diego on Jan. 14 and a 64-40 win in Provo on Feb. 18. In their third matchup, the teams played at The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas in one of two semifinal games during the Zappos 2012 WCC Championships. BYU won that contest 64-46, advancing to the championship game. 

Pepperdine Capsule
Entering the second week of league play, Pepperdine has a 3-9, 0-1 record. The Waves host San Francisco before making the trip to Provo for Saturday afternoon’s game. Last season, Pepperdine compiled a 14-15, 8-8 mark and a fifth place finish in the WCC. The Waves return one starter and eight letterwinners.

• Head coach: Julie Rousseau is in her ninth year at San Diego
• Team’s leading scorer: #22 Shay Cooney-Williams, 10.8 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #1 Robie Mayberry, 5.4 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #22 Cooney-Williams, 3.3 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #11 Ea Shoushtari, 2.3 spg

Series History
BYU leads the series 3-2

Last Meeting
During last year’s WCC schedule, the Cougars and Waves split the series with each team winning on it’s own court. The first meeting was on Jan. 12 in Provo where BYU picked up the 80-56 victory. In Malibu,  Calif., the game went in favor of the Waves as they beat BYU 61-49 on Feb. 2.

Up Next
Next week, the Cougar women have one road game. On Thursday, Jan. 17 the team will be in Spokane, Wash.,  to battle Gonzaga in a 6 p.m. PST tip.

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