After losing four straight games, the Utes looked hungrier than ever for a win Sunday afternoon against the visiting UCLA Bruins. But after controlling the game through three quarters, the Bruins stormed back in the fourth quarter behind senior guard Nirra Fields. She poured in 17 of her 24 points in the fourth period alone as UCLA topped Utah 69-63.
Through the opening period of play, Utah controlled the pace of the game, getting out in transition and stunting the up-tempo Bruins’ early offense. Emily Potter, who finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds, said this was one of the team’s main focuses leading up to the game.
“They’re a great team in transition so we wanted to limit that,” Potter said.
The Bruins lead the Pac-12 in both scoring offense — averaging nearly 78 points per game — and in rebounds, nabbing 45 boards per game. Utah’s defense held steady against the blue wave of Bruins crashing the boards and pushing the ball in transition. Through the first half, Utah led UCLA 35-28, and held the Bruins to 9-of-37 shooting from the floor.
Due to early foul trouble, Potter was forced to watch most of the first half from the sidelines. As the second half began, she came out ready to make her mark on the game. After junior guard Kari Korver sunk a pair of free-throws, trimming the Ute lead to six, Potter ripped out her own personal 6-0 run, scoring the next three Utah buckets. Following Potter’s offensive surge, Malia Nawahine knocked down a triple to cap off a 9-0 Utah run. The rest of the third period would go back and forth until the dwindling seconds of the quarter when Korver knocked down a three-ball to cut the lead to eight heading into the fourth quarter with Utah leading 51-43.
It was Utah’s game for the taking heading into the final period of play, but the Bruins showed why they are the 15th ranked team in the nation. As time dwindled in the fourth quarter, so did Utah’s lead.
The Bruins cranked out a 13-3 run to open up the fourth quarter and Utah had no answer for Fields as she unloaded a barrage of buckets, coming off curls, pulling up in transition, sliding through the paint to the rim and earning a few from the stripe as well. All in all, Fields accounted for 17 of UCLA’s 26 fourth quarter points.
Fields notched a triple that gave the Bruins their first lead since the six minute mark of the first quarter. From there, it was even until Fields drove the nail in the coffin with an old-fashioned three point play, drilling the pull-up jumper in the lane and earning a trip to the stripe where she converted to put Utah away.
Utah head coach Lynne Roberts is disappointed her players gave away a great opportunity to take down a top team.
“I thought we played not to lose there in the fourth,” Roberts said. “We were tentative, we weren’t being very disciplined. This is a game we’re going to regret losing.”
The Utes have now dropped five in a row and are looking to bounce back this Thursday in the Huntsman Center against the 0-9 in conference play Colorado Buffs. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. MT.
@westinjay