On Friday at 5:00 PM PT on Pac-12 Networks and Varsity Network radio, #8 Stanford women’s basketball will face #19 Utah on the road in Salt Lake City. Stanford comes in at 14-1 overall and 3-0 in the Pac-12 while Utah comes in at 11-4 overall and 1-2 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: On Sunday, Stanford defeated Washington 71-59 at home. Cameron Brink had a double-double with 16 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocks.
RECAP: #8 Stanford WBB victory over Washington makes it 1,200 wins for Tara
On Utah: Despite their 1-2 record in the Pac-12, the Utes are still a top-20 team in the country and a contender to win the conference. They had a tough loss at Colorado to open league play and then fell to Arizona on the road by one point on Sunday. They are yet to play a home game in league play, so they’re going to be happy to finally have home court advantage.
The Utes are led by senior forward Alissa Pili, who is averaging 22.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. She is one of the top players in the country and is doing a terrific job of making her presence felt inside. She can also stretch the floor, shooting a ridiculous 50% from 3-point range on 56 attempts this season, so she lets it fly.
The number two option for this Utah team is junior guard Gianna Kneepkens, who is averaging 17.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Kneepkens is a terrific number two option as she would be the number one option on many power five programs. The other two players scoring in double figures on average are senior guard Isabel Palmer (14.0 points) and junior guard Kennady McQueen (10.3 points).
As a team, the Utes average 87.5 points per game on 51.2% shooting from the field, 39.7% shooting from 3-point range, and 72.5% shooting from the foul line. They average 42.1 rebounds, 22.4 assists, 9.3 steals, 2.9 blocks, and 14.7 turnovers per game. They also average a +14.0 rebounding margin and a +2.8 turnover margin. Their opponents average 57.5 points per game on 38.5% shooting from the field, 29.9% shooting from 3-point range, and 70.1% shooting from the foul line.
Keys to the game: For Stanford, the first thing they need to do is contain Pili as best they can. She’s going to look to go off and have a big performance. I think the most important thing they can do is at least take her 3-ball away from her. If they can hold her to one or fewer made threes, that would be huge. This is a game where Cameron Brink is going to need to come up big defensively and stay out of foul trouble.
The second thing Stanford needs to do is win the battle in the paint. If they can outscore Utah inside and outrebound them, they’ll have the edge. If Utah outscores them in the paint and outrebounds them, they’ll have the edge. It’s that simple.
Finally, Stanford needs to hold their own at the free throw line. Utah will look to get to the free throw line and knock down their foul shots. If Stanford is able to win that battle both in terms of attempts and percentage, they’ll be fine. If Utah has a huge advantage in that area, they’ll likely be in the driver’s seat.
Prediction: I got Stanford winning by a final score of 80-76. I think Utah plays them tough, but Stanford will find a way to come out on top. I think Stanford will be extra motivated given that they lost to Utah last year on the road. Should be a fun battle. I’m excited to watch this one in person.
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