After four tragic games in a row, the Utah Utes are looking forward to this coming weekend. They are hoping to turn themselves around against Arizona and Arizona State on Friday night and Sunday evening. Utah is currently 18-5 overall and 7-5 in Pac-12 play.
Just this week, the Utes have had members recognized nationally. On Monday, Feb. 11, Megan Huff was named to the Women’s Citizen Naismith Trophy Midseason Team. Huff has been leading the Utah Utes with 20.2 points per game, ranking fifth in the Pac-12. She has had 14 double-doubles so far this season as well.
Dre’Una Edwards also found herself in the spotlight this week, earning her fifth Pac-12 Freshman of the Year award. The Utes are currently tied with the record of the most Pac-12 freshman of the year awards at eight so far this season, Edwards holding five of those awards. Edwards is currently shooting 54-percent from the floor and ranks second in field goal percentage in the Pac-12.
Utah will be starting off their weekend in Arizona on Friday night at 6 p.m. against the Arizona Wildcats. The Wildcats are currently 15-8 overall and 5-7 in Pac-12 play. When the Utes last saw Arizona back in January, the Utes took a dominating 80-64 win at the Huntsman Center.
They will then go on to play Arizona State on Sunday, Feb. 17 at 2 p.m. Currently, Arizona State is 16-6 overall and 7-4 in Pac-12 play. At the last meeting between the Utes and the Sun Devils, Utah faced a heartbreaking loss 63-65. The Utes are preparing mentally for both games in Arizona and are ready to step up on the floor.
“It really is just prepping for who you’re going to play,” said head coach Lynne Roberts. “We are playing Arizona on Friday, so it’s about knowing what they do on offense and what our game is defensively, and what they do on defense and what our game plan is offensively. At this point in the season practices are more detail oriented and game plan oriented, they are not as competitive and up and down as they are at the beginning of the season.”
As the team has been preparing for this upcoming weekend, they are excited about the things to come in Pac-12 play. Utah is still in the hunt and is still playing to win.
“All of our goals are still in front of us,” Roberts said. “We have everything in front of us, a lot of teams don’t at this point, their fates have already been decided and they are just playing for pride. We are still playing for all of our goals and that’s exciting.”