CEDAR CITY, Utah - After an overtime loss to California Baptist earlier this year, the 15-8 Southern Utah women's basketball team will look to flip the script on a 16-8 Lancers team that tops the Western Athletic Conference Standings. The road contest will tip off at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, in the Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center in Riverside, California.
Head Coach Tracy Mason said:
"California Baptist is one of the best teams in the WAC, so we'll have to be prepared for a challenge on Thursday. We're going to have to be active and aggressive on offense and be locked in defensively in order to be competitive."
Game Details
Who: Southern Utah (15-8, 7-4 WAC) vs California Baptist (16-8, 10-1 WAC)
When: Thursday, February 12, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: HERE
Matchup History
- In a heartbreaking 82-77 overtime thriller against CBU on Jan. 10, Southern Utah lost its only home game of the season thus far. Sophomore Sierra Chambers and junior Ava Uhrich combined for 39 points. Chambers chipped in a career-high nine assists, and Uhrich racked up 17 rebounds.
The Thunderbirds
On Saturday, Feb. 7, Southern Utah snapped a four-game winning streak with a down-to-the-wire 59-57 loss to Tarleton State. Despite the stumble, the Thunderbirds remain 7-4 in the WAC and 15-8 overall, putting them third in the conference standings. They are currently one game behind Abilene Christian, whose spot they will need to take to secure a postseason bye.
SUU boasts a potent offense that has fired its way to second in the WAC in scoring at 72.7 points per game. Their well-rounded attack also places them second in the conference in field-goal accuracy (41.6%), free-throw accuracy (74.1%), and three-point accuracy (32%).
The Thunderbirds average an impressive 15 assist-mark and a WAC-high 42.8 rebounds per game. Between sophomore Kortney Doman and juniors Brooklyn Fely and Ava Uhrich, Southern Utah has recorded more double-double performances than any team in the conference.
While Doman's powerful defensive presence has helped her lead the team in steals and blocks, Uhrich and Fely have dominated the paint. Uhrich averages a WAC-high 10 rebounds per game and Fely brings down a hefty average of 8.4 boards (third in WAC).
As for scoring, sophomore Sierra Chambers has paved the way, averaging 15.2 points (second in WAC) and 3.7 assists (fifth in WAC). However, Uhrich and Fely are not far behind, adding 13.6 and 11.8 points per game, respectively.
Scouting Report
California Baptist University Lancers
With a daunting 10-1 conference record and a 16-8 record overall, the Lancers currently hold sole possession of the top of the WAC. They enter their home matchup with Southern Utah following a tide-turning 74-71 comeback win on the road over ACU on Feb. 7.
California Baptist's offense ranks third in the conference with 72.1 points per game, and their defense has struggled, allowing 66 points per game. However, the Lancers have crashed the boards almost as effectively as SUU, recording 42 rebounds per game.
Their scoring success has been commanded by freshman Lauren Olsen, who averages a 15.2 points-per-game mark that nearly matches that of Chambers. Junior Filipa Barros has also proved to be one of the Lancers' most impactful stars. She contributes 9.4 rebounds (second in WAC) and 4.7 assists per game (second in WAC).
Tickets
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