Utah Women’s Basketball Continues Home Stand Against Arizona, Arizona State
The University of Utah Women’s Basketball team plays against Stanford University in the Huntsman Center, University of Utah Campus, Salt Lake City, UT on Friday, Feb. 14. (Photo by Mark Draper | The Daily Utah Chronicle)
February 20, 2020
The University of Utah women’s basketball team (12-13, 5-9 Pac-12) is home again this weekend to face No. 11 Arizona (21-4, 10-4 Pac-12) and No. 21 Arizona State (18-8, 8-6 Pac-12).
The Utes are on a two-game losing streak after falling to No. 4 Stanford (23-3, 12-2 Pac-12) and California (10-15, 2-12 Pac-12) at home last weekend.
Arizona is on a three-game winning streak. This is the only time the Utes will see them this season. Utah is 8-6 against the Wildcats all-time, but the last win was back in 2016. Ranked at No. 11 in the nation, the Utes will need to put together a complete performance to stop this losing streak and climb up in the Pac-12. The game will be on Friday at 7 p.m.
They will then get ready for No. 21 Arizona State at home on Sunday at noon. Arizona State is on a two-game winning streak of their own. This is the only time they will play the Utes this year, and Utah is 5-11 against them all-time. The last win was in 2018. The game is the last home date of the year and will be Senior Day. The Utes are on the road next weekend and then off to the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas.
The team knows what they will have to do to be able to possibly pull the upsets this weekend.
“We just need to stick to things we’re good at,” said senior Daneesha Provo. “Play confidently, try not to do too much. Then, on the defensive side, just taking away what they’re good at. So if it’s threes or getting into the post, just keep chipping away, not really give in and just keep going.”
Utah has had an up-and-down season. Sitting at eighth in the Pac-12 Conference, they need to get some wins on the board for seeding in the Pac-12 tournament. Six teams in the Pac-12 are ranked in the top 25 nationally, and the Utes are among the best outside of that group. They are tied in conference record with USC (13-12, 5-9 Pac-12), who they play next weekend.
Utah desperately needs to grab at least one win this weekend. With the end of the regular season near, they will have to play well to get any shot at pulling off an upset in the Pac-12 Tournament. If they go in with confidence and poise, they will have a chance, but it’s time to build some momentum heading toward the end of the year.
