The Utah women’s basketball team hosted in-state rival Utah State on Saturday, and looked to make it seven wins in a row to start out the 2016-17 season. Against a tough USU squad looking to avenge last year’s one point loss in Logan, getting a win wouldn’t be easy, but Utah would eventually finish out on top with a 65-58 win.
The game started out fast-paced as the Aggies rushed out to a 9-2 lead while shooting 52 percent from the field. Halfway through the first quarter, the Utes found themselves down 13-7, and that’s when Utah stepped on the gas.
Utah finished the rest of the first quarter on a 13-6 run, and took a 20-19 lead going into the second quarter. During the second quarter, and throughout the rest of the game, both teams had a hard time getting the ball in the hoop.
“You’re going to have games like this one where you have some great shots, but can’t get the ball to fall,” said head coach Lynne Roberts. “I’m looking forward to when we start clicking offensively a little more. That’s what these non-conference games are for, and we’re figuring it out for conference. We continue to get better and find ways to win.”
The defense of the Aggies was tough to overcome, but in the end the Utes won the game to remain undefeated. The latest win puts Utah at 7-0, marking the best start to a season in four years.
“Through seven games, you can’t get much better than 7-0,” Roberts said with a smile.
The second quarter saw smothering defense by both teams as the Utes allowed only nine points. At halftime, Utah led 33-28.
Utah’s standout player, Emily Potter, was defended heavily throughout the contest. Potter was often double-teamed down low, and she finished with just 10 points and eight rebounds, one of her lowest totals of the season. With so much pressure on their interior star, the Utes needed other players to step up and make plays to win.
And the Utes got exactly that. Senior wing Paige Crozon tallied a game high 15 points, hitting big shots and getting to the foul line often in the second half. Junior wing Tanaeya Boclair added 14 points and seven rebounds in the winning effort.
“Defense is something we’re always focused on,” Boclair said. “It’s always a priority. Playing with intensity and applying pressure in the full court were a few keys for today’s game.”
During the third quarter, the Aggies picked up the pace and outscored the Utes by one, cutting their overall lead to just four points going into the fourth quarter.
“I never really felt like the game was in doubt,” Roberts said when asked about what she said to her team between the last two quarters. “I knew we were ahead, so I remember saying to just focus on defense.”
Junior wing Malia Nawahine also hit two big three pointers in the third quarter, as she scored eight in the quarter and 12 overall. She also added seven rebounds.
Utah’s next game will be on the road against the University of Nevada, Reno Wolf Pack. The Utes are undefeated all time against Nevada, holding a 5-0 record. The game will tip-off on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Reno, Nev. Following that game, the Utes have perhaps the biggest game of their non-conference schedule, as they play host to Brigham Young University on Saturday, Dec. 10. Tip-off for the game is at 5:30 p.m.