Utah’s 97-56 rout of CSUN Thursday night was the largest margin of victory for the Utes since beating Southern Oregon 91-36 in 2010. With Utah holding at 97 as the final minutes of the game ticked down, sophomore guard Gabie Bowie spotted up for a three-pointer in the corner — a shot that would have put Utah over the century mark for the first time since Nov. 22, 2000.
Bowie let it fly, missing just to the left as CSUN secured the rebound and dribbled out the clock. Utah was certainly pleased with its performance, 100-point game or not, following the Junkanoo Jam at which they went 0-2.
“Coming from the Bahamas, it was fun,” said backup post player Joeseta Fatuesi. “In practice we fixed our mistakes, and we worked on the little things like energy. I think that helped a lot.”
Rodriguez’ off-court honors
Senior point guard Danielle Rodriguez was honored for her work away from basketball last Wednesday with a nomination to the Allstate WBCA Good Works team for the second consecutive year. Rodriguez has made an immeasurable impact in the community in Salt Lake with her work at local elementary and middle schools where she reads and plays with the kids.
Additionally, she has done work to help feed the homeless in Utah and has also contributed to a project to assist senior citizens as they walk their dogs in the icy and dangerous conditions of winter. It was fitting that Rodriguez should capture that elusive first career double-double with 11 assists following a day where she was honored for her assists away from the game.
“That’s what I love to do. Even if I wasn’t recognized for it, it still makes me feel really good,” said Rodriguez of her honors following Utah’s win against CSUN.
Utes in the Pac-12, nation
While Utah ranks tenth in the Pac-12 in the win column, more advanced statistics suggest that Utah is middle of the pack in terms of overall play. The Utes rank third in the Pac-12 in rebound margin, an area head coach Lynne Roberts continuously emphasizes to her players.
In addition to rebounds, Utah’s ranks third in field goal percentage defense. The Utes are allowing an average of 65 points per game to their opponents, however, good for just ninth in the Pac-12.
Looking ahead at the remaining games before conference play begins in January, fans should expect to see two things from this Utah team — increased competition level and greater separation between the stronger and weaker teams in the conference.
The first several games of the preseason are largely a feeling-out process for teams, especially those with heavy roster turnover, such as Stanford, or teams like Utah touting a new head coach.
As coaches and players settle into their systems and respective styles of play and work off the offseason rust, now is when the landscape of competition across conferences becomes apparent.
@westinjay