The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

Write for Us
Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor, send us an op-ed pitch or check out our open positions for the chance to be published by the Daily Utah Chronicle.
@TheChrony
Print Issues
Write for Us
Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor, send us an op-ed pitch or check out our open positions for the chance to be published by the Daily Utah Chronicle.
@TheChrony
Print Issues

Women’s Basketball: Utah Crushed by No. 7 Oregon, 84-68

Utah+Utes+guard%2Fforward+Tilar+Clark+%2824%29+tries+to+shoot+against+Oregon+Ducks+guard+Sabrina+Ionescu+%2820%29+as+The+University+of+Utah+Lady+Utes+take+on+the+University+of+Oregon+Ducks+at+the+Huntsman+Center+in+Salt+Lake+City%2C+UT+on+Sunday%2C+Jan.+28%2C+2018%0A%0A%28Photo+by+Adam+Fondren+%7C+Daily+Utah+Chronicle%29
Adam Fondren
Utah Utes guard/forward Tilar Clark (24) tries to shoot against Oregon Ducks guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) as The University of Utah Lady Utes take on the University of Oregon Ducks at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, UT on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018 (Photo by Adam Fondren | Daily Utah Chronicle)

For the entire fourth quarter on Sunday afternoon, the University of Utah women’s basketball team trailed the No. 7 Oregon Ducks by double-digits. Daneesha Provo, who was Utah’s leading scorer with 19 points, took a shot at a 3-pointer with 1:44 to play, but the ball bounced off the rim. Although Provo grabbed the offensive rebound and tried to lay it up, the ball hit the rim and didn’t go in. The possession was a microcosm of the entire game as big deficits and missed opportunities plagued the Utes en route to their 84-68 loss at the hands of the Ducks in the Huntsman Center.

A typically stout Utah defense allowed four Ducks to end the game in double-digit points as Maite Cazorla ended with a game-high 21 points. The Utes had chances to capitalize via rebounds as they out-rebounded Oregon, 37-32, but they failed to make anything of it. Utah finished shooting 37.5 percent from the field, and it turned the ball over 16 times, leading to 19 points for Oregon.

“I thought we came out as flat as we could have, and it was embarrassing, and that is on me,” said head coach Lynne Roberts in a Utah Athletics press release. “I have to do a better job of getting them ready to play. That is unacceptable when you are playing the No. 7 ranked team in the country and you come out flat.”

After trailing 16-2 midway through the first period, the Utes went on a 15-9 run to cut the deficit to eight points. Utah was clicking on all cylinders during that run.

Utah’s Megan Huff, who was coming off a career-high 26-point game on Friday, struggled from the floor as she went 2-of-6 for five points. The bench duo of Tilar Clark and Tanaeya BoClair came into the game and scored a combined 25 points for Utah. Roberts saw a level of energy from the pair that she didn’t see from the rest of her team.

“Tanaeya and Tilar were fearless and aggressive,” Roberts said in a Utah athletics press release. “And if we would have had 10 players like that today, it probably would have been a different game in terms of mentality.”

The Utes have not put together as many complete Pac-12 games at home as they have on the road, but Roberts still sees a successful path in front of them.

“We just have to stay the course,” Roberts said in a Utah athletics press release. “We are 5-5 [in conference play] and if we go .500 in this league, we have a chance to make the NCAA tournament, and that is still in front of us. If we go 10-8, 11-7, whatever, then it is a lock. We didn’t have a great weekend in terms of playing our best and getting a win, but our players and coaches just need to stay the course, stay confident and stay positive, because good things will happen if we do that.”

Utah will return to action against Colorado in the Huntsman Center on Thursday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m.

[email protected]

@Juannegrette87

Leave a Comment

Comments (0)

The Daily Utah Chronicle welcomes comments from our community. However, the Daily Utah Chronicle reserves the right to accept or deny user comments. A comment may be denied or removed if any of its content meets one or more of the following criteria: obscenity, profanity, racism, sexism, or hateful content; threats or encouragement of violent or illegal behavior; excessively long, off-topic or repetitive content; the use of threatening language or personal attacks against Chronicle members; posts violating copyright or trademark law; and advertisement or promotion of products, services, entities or individuals. Users who habitually post comments that must be removed may be blocked from commenting. In the case of duplicate or near-identical comments by the same user, only the first submission will be accepted. This includes comments posted across multiple articles. You can read more about our comment policy at https://dailyutahchronicle.com/comment-faqs/.
All The Daily Utah Chronicle Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *