Back home hosting San Diego Saturday

PROVO, Utah—After a 70-63 road loss at San Francisco, BYU women’s basketball (9-7, 3-2) looks to get back on a winning note.

In the most updated West Coast Conference standings, the Cougars are one of seven league teams with identical 3-2 marks. They are tied for first place with Gonzaga, Pacific, Pepperdine, Saint Mary’s, San Francisco and Santa Clara.

BYU vs. San Diego Game Notes

BYU AT A GLANCE
Junior guard Cassie Broadhead, who leads the WCC in scoring, is one of three players providing BYU’s offensive presence. She’s averaging 17.6 points and 3.8 rebounds a game. Senior guard Makenzi Pulsipher contributes 12.6 points and 3.9 boards a contest. Senior All-American Kalani Purcell rounds out the double digit scoring with a double-double 12.6 points and 10.2 boards per game. Purcell leads the WCC in the rebounds category.

The Cougars are scoring 65.2 points per game while shooting 42.5 percent from the field, 33.6 percent from behind the arc and 69.2 percent from the free throw line. The team also pulls down 36.1 rebounds a contest.

In this year’s WCC preseason poll chosen by the coaches, BYU, the defending regular season conference champion, was selected to finish second in the league race behind Gonzaga. Purcell and Pulsipher were named to the Preseason All-Conference team.

Currently in league games, BYU leads in scoring defense, scoring margin, field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage and in assists.

• Head coach: Jeff Judkins (Utah, ‘78), 16th season
• Team’s leading scorer: #20 C. Broadhead, 17.6 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #32 K. Purcell, 10.2 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #32 K. Purcell, 4.7 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #32 K. Purcell/#20 C. Broadhead, 2.0 spg
• Team’s blocks leader: #20 C. Broadhead, .94 bpg

SAN DIEGO AT A GLANCE
San Diego has compiled an 8-7, 2-3 record to date. USD’s league wins are over Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara. They defeated the Broncos 57-56 Thursday night in Santa Clara.

The Toreros return 12 letterwinners and four starters from last year’s team that went 25-7, 14-4. USD advanced to the WNIT Sweet 16 last season.

Katherine Hamilton leads the way for San Diego averaging 10.2 points and 3.8 rebounds a game. Caroline Buhr tops the leaderboard in the rebound category pulling down 5.0 boards a game.  San Diego is without their leading scorer Maya Hood after she suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the ninth game of the year. She was averaging 18.1 points and 8.1 rebounds a contest prior to her injury.

USD is averaging 68.7 points per game, is averaging 42.2 percent shooting from the field, 24.1 percent from 3-point land and 70.5 percent from the free-throw line.

• Head coach: Cindy Fisher (Arizona State, ‘88), 11th season
• Team’s leading scorer: #25 K. Hamilton, 10.2 ppg
• Team’s leading rebounder: #24 C. Buhr, 5.0 rpg
• Team’s assists leader: #32 C. Woodward, 4.5 apg
• Team’s steals leader: #25 K. Hamilton, 1.7 spg
• Team’s blocks leader: #44 S. Williams, 1.3 bpg

THE SERIES
BYU leads the series 9-3. When playing in Provo, the Toreros have a 0-5 mark. Head coach Jeff Judkins has a 9-3 record against San Diego. During last year’s WCC race, each team won on its home court.

COMING UP
After the two league games this week, BYU continues WCC play at Pepperdine on Thursday, Jan. 19. The Cougar women are next at home on Saturday, Jan. 21, when they host Pacific.