Season Opener Brings Wildcats to Provo

BYU women’s basketball is set to kick off the 2012-13 season with its first regular season game this Friday. The Cougars welcome Weber State to the Marriott Center in an afternoon game that tips off at 3 p.m., MST on Nov. 9. The game will air live on BYUtv.

BYU Capsule
In preparation for the 2012-13 season BYU hosted two exhibition games, defeating Chadron State 89-51, Dixie State 79-57.
In the two exhibition games, three Cougars scored in double digits in both contests: Ashley Garfield (15 vs. Chadron State & 10 vs. Dixie State); Lexi Eaton (10 & 13); Haley Steed (10 & 15).
The Cougars return 10 letterwinners including three starters, from last year’s team that compiled a 26-7 overall record and a 12-4 mark in West Coast Conference play and finished tied for second in the WCC regular season.BYU clinched its first WCC championship crown by defeating Gonzaga 78-66 in the title game of the WCC tournament. This year, the league’s coaches picked BYU to finish first in the WCC regular season race. Steed, Eaton and Jennifer Hamson were named to the 2012-13 Preseason All-WCC Team.

•    Head coach: Jeff Judkins, enters his 12th season
•    Returning leading scorer: Lexi Eaton, 10.5 ppg
•    Returning leading rebounder: Jennifer Hamson, 5.7 rpg
•    Returning assist leader: Haley Steed, 7.2 apg
•    Returning steals leader: Haley Steed, 2.2 spg

BYU’S PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
#4 Kim Parker Beeston – (5-11 guard, JR) 9.5 ppg; 3.1 rpg; 3.3 apg
#21 Lexi Eaton – (5-10 guard, SO) 10.5 ppg; 3.1 rpg; 1.9 apg
#12 Stephanie Vermunt Seaborn – (6-0 guard/forward, JR) 6.5 ppg; 2.2 rpg; 1.1 apg
#45 Keilani Unga – (6-2 forward, SR) 4.4 ppg; 2.2 rpg; 1.1 apg^
*stats are from the 2011-12 season
^stats are from the 2009-10 season

Weber State Capsule
The Wildcats compiled a 2-27 overall, 0-16 Big Sky record last season. They return five letterwinners and one starter.

WSU played two exhibition games in preparation for the 2012-13 campaign, defeating Concordia 78-48 and Adams State 84-44 in Ogden.

•    Head coach: Bethann Ord, enters her second year at Weber State
•    Returning leading scorer: Amanda Hughes, 10.2 ppg
•    Returning leading rebounder: Amanda Hughes, 9.1 rpg
•    Returning assist leader: Amanda Hughes, 27 total assists
•    Returning steals leader: Amanda Hughes, 41 total steals

Series History
BYU leads the series: 39-9
BYU at home: 19-1
BYU in Ogden: 15-7
BYU in neutral site: 5-1
BYU under coach Judkins: 9-1

Last meeting
BYU traveled to Ogden during the 2011-12 season and came away with an 84-67 victory.  In that game, Lexi Eaton and Kim Parker led BYU with 12 points apiece. Dani Peterson contributed 11 points. Haley Steed led the defense with nine defensive boards and dished out five assists. Center Jennifer Hamson recorded nine points and seven rebounds. BYU finished the game shooting 48.3 percent from the field while holding the Wildcats to 36.8 percent shooting and forced 14 Weber State turnovers.

Co-Team Captains
Graduate student Haley Steed and senior Keilani Unga have been chosen by their teammates as co-captains for the 2012-13 season. This is Steed’s fifth straight co-captain selection.

Receiving Votes
In the preseason  USA Today Sports/ESPN Top 25 Coaches Poll released on Oct. 30, BYU received votes. WCC foe Gonzaga also garnered votes. Last year the Cougars began receiving votes in December and were ranked as high as No. 23 in February.

Player Injury Report
Sophomore guard Stephanie Rovetti suffered a cartilage injury to her left knee in a team practice. She is out for the season.

What’s Next
The Cougar team will spend the next two weeks on the road. BYU will be at Darmouth on  Nov. 13, at Boston College on Nov. 15 and at Harvard on Nov. 16.  The following week they are at Arizona on Nov. 20 and at Washington State on Nov. 24.

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