OPENING TIP
After opening the season with a resounding 72-48 win over Kansas City on Wednesday, the Utah Valley University women's basketball team will travel to Kennesaw State University this weekend. Tip is set for 7 p.m. ET/5 p.m. MT from KSU Convocation Center in Kennesaw, Georgia, and will air on ESPN+.

Saturday will mark the first time that Utah Valley and Kennesaw State will meet in women's basketball. The game is part of the WAC/Conference USA Challenge that has each team from the two conferences playing one home and one road game against the opposite league. The Wolverines will also host Jacksonville State from CUSA in December. 

Saturday is also the only true road game the Wolverines will play in November. After the game in Georgia, UVU will play four straight at home before a Thanksgiving Tournament at the University of San Diego where they'll face Alabama A&M and Omaha. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Wolverines (1-0) got 11 points apiece from Halle Nelson and Kendra Kitchen, while Danja Stafford Collins finished with nine points, 10 rebounds, and career highs of five steals, and five assists in her UVU debut. Kitchen, in her first collegiate contest, was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field—including a 3-pointer—and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Nelson was 4-for-5 overall from the field and hit both 3-pointers she attempted. 

UVU was balanced offensively, with six players scoring at least eight points, while forcing 35 turnovers behind 23 steals. The 35 turnovers led to 35 points with the steal total just one shy of the team single-game record against a Division I school.

Utah Valley began the second quarter on a 12-0 run and began in third quarter with eight straight points. Wednesday also marked the first time UVU held its opponent without a made 3-pointer since February 12, 2022, a 66-32 road win at New Mexico State.

ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
Kennesaw State won its season opener on Monday night over Life (GA), 72-53, behind a second-half that saw the Owls outscore Life 36-18. Prencis Harden led KSU with 14 points and seven rebounds while Keiara Griffin added 13 points. The Owls were picked ninth in the 10-team CUSA after finishing 11-19 overall last season. Harden was second-team All-CSUA last season after averaging 14.1 points per and 7.8 rebounds per game to lead the team.