Idaho State University’s women’s basketball team will finish its non-conference schedule with a game against Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Saturday. The matchup at the UCCU Center is set for a noon tipoff. Idaho State holds a 6–4 record after defeating Cal Poly 62–49 on the road last weekend.
The two teams have met 17 times since 2004, with Idaho State leading the series 12–5. The Bengals have won five consecutive games against Utah Valley and eight of the last nine meetings. However, they have played each other only twice since 2019.
Utah Valley enters the contest with a 7–3 record under head coach Dan Nielson. The Wolverines average 65.3 points per game and allow an average of 55.7 points to opponents. They shoot 38.6 percent from the field and are notable for forcing turnovers, averaging nearly 29.4 forced turnovers per game—one of the highest rates in college basketball.
Senior guard Amanda Barcello leads Utah Valley in scoring at 15.6 points per game while shooting over 43 percent from the field and 44 percent from three-point range. Kylee Mabry contributes additional offense, Cambree Blackham is among team leaders in steals, and Halle Nelson provides size and rebounding in the frontcourt.
Utah Valley employs both man-to-man defense and a 1-3-1 zone, frequently trapping opponents to create turnovers but has struggled with rebounding, being outrebounded by an average of four per game.
For Idaho State, controlling turnovers will be important as they are 5–1 when committing fewer than 15 turnovers this season. The Bengals maintain a +8.7 rebounding margin compared to their opponents and lead the Big Sky Conference in both steals per game and rebounding margin. Defensively, they allow just 58 points per game and hold opponents to under 36.3 percent shooting; eight out of ten opponents have been held below seventy points this season.
Tasia Jordan leads Idaho State in scoring at 15.2 points per game while Piper Carlson averages over eight rebounds per contest. Kacey Spink is first on the team with twenty-nine steals this season and approaches significant career milestones: she has accumulated two hundred twenty career steals—seven away from tying Idaho State’s all-time record—and needs forty-three more points to reach seven hundred fifty career points.
Following Saturday’s matchup, Idaho State will begin conference play against Sacramento State on January first.
