When UCLA’s first six possessions entailed four missed field goals, a missed free throw and a shot clock violation, while the Utah women’s basketball team hit four 3-pointers en route to a 16-1 lead, it seemed inevitable that the Utes would knock off the Bruins Saturday afternoon.
And they did?they just didn’t expect the final margin to be 89-42.
“We knew, going in, this was going to be a tough game,” said senior U guard Erin Gibbons, who nailed 5-of-7 treys to finish with 17 points. “We had no idea it would wind up like this.”
After leading the nation in scoring defense the past two years, the Utes have earned a reputation as a team that wins by stopping opponents from scoring.
That held true, as UCLA’s Michelle Greco, who came in leading the Pac-10 in scoring at 26.2 points per game, didn’t get her first basket until eight and a half minutes in, and finished with just 13 points total. Meanwhile, no other Bruin hit double digits in scoring, and the team as a whole shot just 24.6 percent from the field.
“We limited Greco’s catching the ball?we didn’t want her to get too many touches,” said senior center Lauren Beckman. “And they didn’t have much perimeter shooting other than her.”
But the Utes (4-2) also got it done on the offensive end, shooting 51.7 percent overall, and 64.7 percent from 3-point land, as Beckman had a game high 19 points, and senior forward Lindsay Herbert added 15.
“It was a great night. Obviously, we have to evaluate where [the Bruins] were, but we’re getting better,” Elliott said. “We hit shots early and that always relaxes you.”
UCLA dropped to 3-2 on the year.