CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah women's basketball team will head to Phoenix for a battle against Grand Canyon on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 6 p.m. MT.

Game Info

Southern Utah vs Grand Canyon

Date: January 25, 2023

Tip-off: 6 p.m. MT

Live Stream | Live Stats

WAC Standings

The Western Athletic Conference is different from most conferences when it comes to seeding its teams, as the standings factor in non-conference play into its rankings.

So, even though Southern Utah is undefeated in conference play, it ranks second to Stephen F. Austin due to non-conference play.

2022-23 WAC Resume Seeding System (as of Jan. 22)

T-Bird Tidbits

Southern Utah continues to win the rebounding battle by corralling 43.4 rebounds per game while holding its opponents to 35.7 rebounds each game.

Cherita Daugherty has been electric for the Thunderbirds, scoring a team-high 15.1 points per game. Daugherty leads the squad in the assist category with 4.1 each game, while also snatching 5.5 rebounds per game.

Lizzy Williamson posts an impressive double-double with 10.7 points and team-high 10.6 rebounds per game.

Megan Jensen (11.9) and Daylani Ballena (11.4) each eclipse the 10 point mark for SUU.

Last Time Out

First Half

Both teams traded scores back and forth in the opening moments before the Thunderbirds took the 12-8 lead heading into the first media timeout courtesy of eight points in the paint from Williamson. The Trailblazers responded with two jumpers out of the timeout. But SUU would close the quarter on a 6-2 run as Jensen and Cherita Daugherty each muscled in layups to give the Thunderbirds the 19-14 advantage. 

After Johnston got the scoring started for the Thunderbirds in the second quarter with a deep three-point jumper, Utah Tech stormed back on a 9-0 run to take their first lead of the game, 25-22, at the 4:41 mark. Ballena snatched the lead back in the next two possessions with a driving layup and a pull-up three to give SUU the 27-26 with 2:18 in the quarter. Each side continued to trade buckets down the stretch and went into the half tied 30-30. 

Second Half

Williamson picked up right where she left off to begin the second half going straight to the hole for a layup, but the Trailblazers caught fire, hitting two threes and a mid-range jumper to jump out to a 37-32 lead. After Ballena and Jensen fought back with two layups, Utah Tech built some steam to extend out to their largest lead, 45-36, with 2:56 left on the clock. 

The Thunderbirds would not go away as Alexa Lord splashed her first points from behind the arch, sparking two more Thunderbird three-pointers from Tomekia Whitman and Johnston to pull back within four points, 49-45, at the end of the third quarter. 

SUU took complete control of the game in the final quarter. Megan Jensen hit a three-pointer to open the period before the Thunderbirds locked down defensively and shattered off a 12-0 run, highlighted by six points from Williamson and a spin cycle layup from Ballena to take a 60-49 lead. The Thunderbirds would hold the Trailblazers to just a single layup in the final quarter and cruised to the 62-51 win.

Grand Canyon (14-5, 6-2 WAC)

The Lopes sit at third overall in WAC Resume Seeding with a 6-2 conference record. Their most recent outing was a 78-70 defeat against California Baptist.

Grand Canyon scores 73.9 points per game while holding its opponents to only 60.3 points each game.

The Lopes have three players who average double-digit scoring. Naudia Evans (11.2), Tiarra Brown (10.3), and Olivia Lane (10.3) all score over 10 points each game.

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