If you’re looking to watch some quality basketball on the campus of the University of Utah this Winter you might want to check out the University of Utah Women’s Basketball team. As the Runnin’ Utes Men’s team has struggled to find their footing through the season to this point, it’s the Women’s team that has been lights out all season long en route to an undefeated, 12-0 record.
The 12-0 start is the best start to a season in Utah Women’s Basketball program history and they don’t show signs of slowing down anytime soon. It’s already been a special season to this point for the Utes as they captured a tournament championship, defeating Hawaii 73-48 in the championship game of the Rebel Bracket in the Duel in the Desert. But the Utes have their sights set higher, namely a conference championship and a birth in the Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament.
The Utes currently sit atop the Pac-12 Conference standings with a perfect 12-0 record and a 1-0 record in conference play following Utah’s victory over Colorado yesterday. The Utes saw four players score in double figures in their victory over Colorado, led by freshmen Andrea Torres who scored a game-high 18 points to go along with 3 assists. Of the four Utes in double figure, three of them were freshmen.
Youth has been a big storyline for the Utah Women’s Team with multiple freshmen playing a key part in their success. Freshman Dre’Una Edwards has been named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week not once, not twice, but three times this season. Edwards is averaging 12.5 points and is shooting over 50% on the season. Edwards isn’t the only member of the Utah team to earn Pac-12 Freshman of the Week, however. Dru Gylten also took home the award for her performance in the first week of December after scoring a career-high 17 points against BYU.
The awards don’t stop there for the Utes as senior Megan Huff was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week following a 28 point performance against BYU. Huff was also named one-of-thirty candidates for the nation’s Senior CLASS Award.
The Utah Women’s team will need all the support they can get as they face a difficult schedule that features home games against the 17th ranked Arizona State Sun Devils, 6th ranked Stanford Cardinal and 14th ranked Cal Bears, as well as road games against the 11th ranked Oregon State Beavers and 5th ranked Oregon Ducks.
You can catch the Utah Women’s Team in action this Friday, Jan. 4 at the Huntsman Center as they take on the 17th ranked Arizona State Sun Devils at 7 PM.