Maybe the team will motivate themselves realizing how much they shot themselves in the foot this season and having the will to go out on a better note.
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Here is an AI summary of the EKU basketball team in lead up to the game tomorrow.
In 2026, the Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) women’s basketball team completed one of its most successful seasons in program history, finishing with a 24–8 overall record and clinching the Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Regular Season Championship. Led by head coach Greg Todd, the Colonels recorded their third consecutive 20-win season and earned a program-record 10 ASUN postseason honors.
Season Performance & Postseason
- Conference Play: EKU dominated the ASUN regular season with a 15–3 record, securing the No. 1 overall seed for the conference tournament.
- ASUN Tournament: Despite their top seed, the Colonels were upset in the quarterfinals by Austin Peay, 45–41.
- WBIT Berth: By virtue of their regular-season title, EKU received an automatic bid to the 2026 Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT), a 32-team NCAA-funded postseason event.
Key Player Statistics (2025-26 Season)
The team’s success was driven by a balanced offensive attack featuring four double-digit scorers:
| Player | Position | Points Per Game | Rebounds Per Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joseana Vaz | Forward | 13.9 | 6.8 |
| Liz Freihofer | Guard | 12.5 | 6.6 |
| Ndidiamaka Ndukwe | Guard | 10.6 | 3.2 |
| Kenleigh Woods | Guard | 10.5 | 2.3 |
(Source: Sports-Reference)
Notable Honors
- Greg Todd: ASUN Coach of the Year.
- Joseana Vaz: ASUN Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-Conference.
- Liz Freihofer: ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year and First Team All-Conference.
- Ndidiamaka Ndukwe: ASUN Sixth Woman of the Year.
- Kenleigh Woods: Named to the ASUN All-Freshman Team
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Just for fun, asked the exact same question to AI for Utah (interesting stat at the bottom about 3pt shots made).
The University of Utah women’s basketball team finished the 2025–26 season with an overall record of 19–12 and a 10–8 mark in Big 12 play. Under second-year head coach Gavin Petersen, the Utes entered the season with a younger roster that included four true freshmen but still maintained a standard of postseason competition.
Postseason Performance
- Big 12 Tournament: Entering as the No. 8 seed, Utah received a first-round bye but fell to No. 9 seed BYU, 70–52, in the second round on March 5, 2026.
- WBIT Selection: Following the conference tournament, Utah was selected for the 2026 Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT). They are scheduled to face Eastern Kentucky in the first round on March 19, 2026.
Key Player Statistics
The Utes’ offensive and defensive efforts were anchored by a mix of veteran leadership and emerging talent:
| Player | Position | Points Per Game | Rebounds Per Game | Other Key Stat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lani White | Guard | 15.8 | 4.8 | Team-leading scorer |
| Maty Wilke | Guard | 10.5 | 3.4 | 1.9 Steals per game |
| Reese Ross | Forward | 9.5 | 8.1 | Team-leading rebounder |
| LA Sneed | Guard | 6.4 | 2.2 | 3.4 Assists per game (Freshman) |
Season Highlights
- Upset Victory: A signature win came on January 27, 2026, when Utah defeated No. 22 West Virginia, 71–64, overcoming a mid-game scoring drought with a dominant fourth-quarter performance.
- All-Conference Honors: Senior guard Lani White and freshman guard LA Sneed both earned All-Big 12 honors for their performances throughout the season.
- Three-Point Proficiency: The team remained undefeated during the regular season when successfully knocking down 10 or more three-pointers in a single game.
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I am not breaking any news here to anyone who has followed, but this team just lacks “it”. This year. We have seen this so many times this year, cant put a team away, they hang around and then just take it to us in the fourth quarter.
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Really not sure the coach has it.
He should be on a pretty hot seat IMO
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That game last night was pretty tough to watch. I was thinking the same way Ben was, they are letting them stick around too much, the team went on a mini-run to get up 10, but then… pffft.
I wonder if anybody at the athletic department wishes that hadn’t booked the Hunstman for something. Getting the #1 seed then shipping them 2,000 miles to play in BFE Kentucky in a glorified high school gym was ludicrous.
Once the EKU team got just even a bit of momentum, them playing at home, used to the shooter’s backdrop and even with a small crowd, they were loud, and the momentum couldn’t be stopped.
As to Diehard and Petersen’s seat. I am not sure why he kept White on the bench all through that 3rd quarter rally of EKU. Was he sending a message about something or was it strategic in some way. One thing it did was cool her off and she never found the right rythm again.
I could gladly go the rest of my life and never see a Walker turnover again. She is a walking turnover and last night was no exception.
Sneed didn’t seem right, she made a few bonehead decisions with the ball.
Reese in foul trouble sitting also during that 3Q run that gave EKU confidence, ugh! I knew it wasn’t going to be her night after her first attempt at a post move, followed up by a travel by going up, getting the ball stuffed, then coming back down.
In the end, I won’t understand what Petersen was thinking with his strategy in that 3Q. A total mystery to me.
in the end, Ben, you are right, back to back games where the look good/ok, to a terrible second half. This team was broken.
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Pretty tough to watch is honestly the nicest possible comment any Ute fan could offer.
On Jan 27th this team was 15-6 (6-3) and 2-2 against top 25 Big12 teams and looked like a NCAA Tournament team. Since then 4-7 and look nothing like the team that knocked off TCU.
Outscored 86-40 (yes, by 46) cumulatively in the second half of their two tournament games (when leading both contests at halftime). And continue to get beat by the other team’s best player.
EKU wasn’t even playing their best going into this game losing 4 of their last 7. And, if the announcers were accurate, and I heard correctly ( a lot of ifs) they were 2-6 on the season when missing one of their upperclassmen bigs.
Also, agree with the 3rd Quarter substitute pattern, lack of timeout usage to slow home court momentum, lack of any defensive adjustments to stop Vaz from getting touches on every possession…etc.
Questions need to be asked to players and coaches as to what happened this year and those answers should determine just how hot Petersen’s seat is.
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@NorCalUte I wish I could star your post 100 times.
Reese Ross to the portal.
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I cant say Im surprised. Dont get me wrong, I think our team next year would be better with Reese than without but a problem all year has been that both Reese and Chyra are both complimentary front court players and that just isnt a recipe for success. In a perfect world, Reese is the player that does the dirty work while the person next to her is the star. Chyra is probably a backup big on a good team.
I am very interested to see who else joins her. I think Gavin will have a lot of work to do this summer.
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That’s too bad for Utah. Really like Reese’s energy. Lots of new players next year. Definitely not sold on Gavin so far.
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I, in the back of mind, kinda expected this. That said, I thought the one that would go to the portal is Brook Walker. She would be a good player on a team in the MWC, or other conference a step down from the BigXII.
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Grace Foster to the portal.
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Not a fan of her playing. Utah will have a young team next year. Still not sure about Gavin.
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I admittedly don’t follow women’s basketball very closely, but I’ve noticed UConn this season. is it even fun for that program anymore? They win by 40 points a game. Good grief!
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its a big problem with womens basketball. ucla v uconn feels inevitable for the title. Honestly, i pick my bracket almost straight chalk every year and usually win my group going away. Only variation is i give the nod to the 9 if they are in the same conference as utah and i was impressed by them that year.
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Foster ended up taking all of Hjelmstad’s minutes as the season went on. But, she is not good at ball handling, is not a danger to drive, can only shoot spot-up and doesn’t play great defense. I hope she succeeds wherever she goes.
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areas the roster needs improvement is the ability to defend and create your own shot. Two many of the players simply could not do either effectively. I would put Foster in that category.
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Hjelmstad to the portal.
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I don’t think Hjelmstad or Foster were going to get Utah basketball anywhere. Ross will be missed. Peterson signed a very respectable group. Hopefully he can get something done in the portal.
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