After a disappointing start to their five-game homestead — losing their first two to Oregon State and Oregon — the Utes are poised to bounce back this Friday against USC. As separation begins in the Pac-12 standings, Utah’s game against the Trojans is an important one.
Utah, 4-4 in conference play, sits just one game ahead of USC, 3-5, at sixth place in the conference standings.
The Trojans are looking to get back on track after a fruitless road trip to the Pacific Northwest, where they went 0-2, followed by a loss to Stanford at home. More recently, the Trojans defeated Cal handily in the Garden Center, 61-47, in what was a fourth quarter surge by USC. The game hung in the balance until the final period of play in which USC outscored the Golden Bears 19-6 behind a monster defensive effort against which Cal scored just one field goal in the entire quarter.
“It’s almost a broken record at this point, but this conference is so good,” said Utah head coach Lynne Roberts. “USC is very athletic, and they’re tough, too. We have to toughen up and take care of the ball. We’re going to have to be really dialed in, intense and not take bad shots.”
After struggling with turnovers for several games, Utah seems to have righted that ship. Against Oregon last Sunday, the Utes turned the ball over just 14 times, five fewer than they had averaged over the previous three games. But against an elite-level defense in USC, Utah will need to be cautious of more than just turnovers.
Roberts cited shot selection as a key to Friday’s matchup.
“Shot selection is something we have to continue to improve upon because if you take a bad shot, it’s almost like a live turnover. Athletic teams who can get out and run will turn that into points quickly,” Roberts said.
With just 10 games left in the season, each contest becomes more and more important as the Utes’ dreams of tournament play become increasingly realistic.
“Its a dream of mine — it has been ever since I was growing up,” said Utah center, Emily Potter, of the fast-approaching WNIT. “That’s why you play. We play to win. I [saw] a bracket a couple weeks ago, and we were slotted in there. I know you’re not supposed to get caught up in that, but I want to enjoy that.”
The Utes will have their work cut out for them on Friday night, Potter specifically as she matches up with USC forward and leading scorer Temi Fagbenle.
Fagbenle comes into Friday’s contest averaging 14 points and nearly nine rebounds per game. At 6-foot-4, Fagbenle does most of her work around the rim, but she is a skilled athlete with the ability to jump passing lanes and cover a lot of ground on the defensive end.
“We’re just going to try to get out in transition and turn our defense into offense and just be really disciplined,” Potter said of the team’s focus against the defensive-minded Trojans.
Utah will tip it off against USC at 7 p.m. MST this Friday in the Huntsman Center.
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