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SALT LAKE CITY – No. 15/19 UCLA (15-5, 7-2) continues a four-game road trip when it travels to face Utah (12-8, 4-5) on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 31). Tip-off is slated for 1:00 p.m. PT/4:00 p.m. ET. There is no TV scheduled for this game, but will be available via live stream at the link provided below.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Utah (12-7, 4-4)
Venue: Huntsman Center (15,000)
Game Date: Jan. 31, 2016
Game Time: 1:00 p.m. PT/4:00 p.m. ET
Game Info.: This is the only meeting against Utah in Pac-12 play this season.
Television: None
Live Stream: Pac-12.com
Internet Audio Broadcast: uclabruins.com
Talent: Dave Marcus (play-by-play)
COMING UP
Opponent: No. 8/9 Arizona State (18-3, 9-0)
Venue: Wells Fargo Arena (10,754)
Game Date: Feb. 5, 2016
Game Time: 5:00 p.m. PT/8:00 p.m. ET
Game Info.: This is the first of two meetings against Arizona State in the month of February.
Television: Pac-12 Networks
Talent: Anne Marie Anderson (play-by-play), Ros Gold Onwude (analyst)
Internet Audio Broadcast: uclabruins.com
Talent: Dave Marcus (play-by-play)
STORYLINES
l The Bruins are currently ranked No. 15 in the AP Poll, No. 19 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and at No. 16 in the College Sports Madness Poll.
l The Pac-12 Conference is ranked No. 1 in the RPI with six members in the Top 20 and 11 members in the Top 100. Stanford is at No. 6 followed by UCLA at No. 7, Oregon State at No. 9, Arizona State at No. 11, Washington at No. 17 and USC at No. 19. Washington State (52), Utah (56), California (60), Oregon (83) and Arizona (84) round out the 11 teams in the Top 100.
l Stanford currently has the No. 4 strength of schedule in the country while UCLA is at No. 6, USC at No. 8 and Colorado at No. 10. California (12), Utah (17), Washington (22), Arizona State (24), Oregon State (38), Arizona (42) and Washington State (45) round out the 11 Pac-12 teams with strength of schedules rated in the Top 50 in the country (as of Jan. 24, 2016).
SERIES HISTORY
The Bruins lead the all-time series with Utah, 9-3. Utah won three of the first four games, but UCLA has won the last eight contests, all since the Utes joined the Pac-12 Conference in 2011-12. The Bruins swept Utah last year, posting a 49-46 win at Utah (Jan. 9, 2015) and a 58-45 victory in Pauley Pavilion (Feb. 8, 2015). In last year's meeting in Salt Lake City, the Bruins were without its leading scorer in Nirra Fields, but maintained their dominance over the Utah Utes with a 49-46 win at the Huntsman Center. UCLA regained the services of freshman guard Jordin Canada for that game, sporting a mask after breaking her nose in practice a week before the Utah game. She was dynamic and fearless, slicing in the paint for a game-high 16 points. She also added team-highs of six rebounds and four assists. The Bruins trailed 23-21 at halftime despite leading for all but the last :17 of the first half. Utah led by as many as five points (31-26, 15:20) in the second half before UCLA went on a 9-2 run to take a 35-33 lead on a pair of free throws by Canada (10:31). The Bruins led the rest of the way. Kacy Swain made one of two free throws with 14 seconds left to give UCLA a 49-46 lead. The Bruins got the stop at the end, forcing a miss by Danielle Rodriguez from beyond the arc with five seconds remaining. Kari Korver ended the night with 15 points (10 in the first half). Taryn Wicijowski was the lone Ute in double figures with 14 points and just missed a double-double with nine boards.
TRENDING
l This is the ninth-straight week UCLA has been ranked in the AP Top 25.
l UCLA is a perfect 13-0 this year when leading at the half (but just 2-5 when trailing).
l UCLA is 12-3 this year when outrebounding its opponent (3-2 when outrebounded).
l Jordin Canada has recorded at least one steal in 15 straight games.
l Nirra Fields has scored in double figures in 13 straight games.
l Jordin Canada has had at least two assists in 48 straight games & five or more in 18-of-20 games this year.
NATIONAL STATISTICS
As a team, UCLA ranks in the top 100 in 22 different categories: No. 9 Rebounds Per Game (45.15); No. 10 Offensive Rebounds Per Game (17.0); No. 13 Rebounds (903); No. 16 Scoring Offense (77.8); No. 20 Three-Point Field Goal Pct. Defense (.264); No. 27 Free Throw Attempts (425); No. 32 Steals (208); No. 32 Steals Per Game (10.4); No. 41 Free Throws Made (287); No. 46 Rebound Margin (+6.2); No. 49 Scoring Margin (+11.5); No. 50 Won-Lost Pct. (.750); No. 58 Blocks (90); No. 63 Field Goal Pct. (.427); No. 66 Turnover Margin (2.70); No. 73 Blocks Per Game (4.5); No. 80 Three-Point Field Goal Pct. (.337); No. 81 Assist Turnover Ratio (0.95); No. 81 Assists (290); No. 85 Assists Per Game (14.5); No. 92 Turnovers Forced (17.95) and No. 99 Field Goal Pct. Defense (.377).
MORE NATIONAL STATISTICS
l Three of the five Bruin starters rank in the Top 100 in 15 national statistical categories.
l Jordin Canada ranks in the Top 100 in eight different categories: No. 14 Assists (125); No. 16 Assists Per Game (6.3 apg); No. 39 Assist Turnover Ratio (2.19); No. 56 Steals (48); No. 64 Steals Per Game (2.40 spg); No. 78 Field Goal Attempts (289); No. 83 Field Goals Made (124) and No. 94 Total Points (328).
l Nirra Fields ranks in the Top 100 in four categories: No. 77 Steals Per Game (2.32 spg); No. 81 Steals (44); No. 93 Field Goals Made (121) and No. 97 Field Goals Attempted (281).
l Kari Korver ranks in the Top 100 in three categories: No. 44 Three Point Field Goal Pct. (40.9), No. 71 Three Point Field Goals Made (47) and No. 86 Three Point Field Goals Made Per Game (2.35).
FIELDS CLIMBING THE BRUIN CHARTS
Senior guard Nirra Fields ranks No. 11 on UCLA's career scoring list with 1,655 points. She needs 23 points to pass Lisa Willis (1,677 - 2003-06) for 10th. She is 9th in 20-point scoring games (32) and needs two more to move into 8th. She is 4th in three-point field goals made (125) and 2nd in attempts (411). She also moved into 4th in field goal attempts (1,613) and is 10th in made field goals (634).
KORVER CLIMBING CAREER CHARTS
Junior guard Kari Korver is currently at No. 1 on UCLA's career free throw percentage list at 83.4 percent (126-for-151). She also ranks in the top 10 in all three categories for three-point shooting, ranking No. 3 in three-point percentage (.394), at No. 2 in makes (159) and at No. 3 in attempts (404).
CANADA NAMED TO NAISMITH WATCH LIST
UCLA sophomore point guard Jordin Canada is one of eight sophomores and one of eight Pac-12 players to be named to the Naismith Trophy's Early Season Watch List by the Atlanta Tipoff Club (announced Dec. 10). The watch list includes 50 of the top women's collegiate basketball players who will be in the conversation for the prestigious honor. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the Naismith Trophy recognizes the top Men's and Women's College Basketball Players of the Year. Canada currently leads the team in scoring at 16.4 points per game, which ranks fourth in the Pac-12 and 81st in the country. She also paces the Bruins in assists at 6.3 apg, which ranks first in the league and 14th nationally.
BOMBS AWAY
The Bruins have two three-point shooting contest winners on the roster this year as freshman guard Kennedy Burke won the 2015 high school three-point shooting contest, a competition won by junior guard Kari Korver in 2012. Right now, the pair have combined to make 57 of the team's 94 three-pointers (60.6% -- Korver has made 47, Burke has made 10).
BIG MACS ON CAMPUS
UCLA's roster features a school-record-tying four McDonald's All-Americans in 2015-16 as freshman forward Ashley Hearn joins sophomores Jordin Canada and Lajahna Drummer as well as senior guard Nirra Fields.
BRUINS IN THE POLLS
UCLA is currently ranked 15th in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll with 317 points. The Bruins also received 213 points for 19th in the USA TODAY Sports Top 25 women's basketball coaches poll. UCLA has received votes in both polls every week in 2015-16. Several 2015-16 opponents are also ranked or receiving votes in the AP Top 25 Poll as South Carolina is at No. 2 and Notre Dame is at No. 3. Arizona State is ranked No. 8 while Oregon State is No. 9. Stanford fell to No. 16 with its 20-point loss to the Bruins. Washington cracked the Top 25 poll, entering at No. 25 this week (80 points). UCLA's season-opening opponent St. John's (22 points) and Washington (33 points) both received points in this week's USA Today Coaches Poll.