The Utah women’s basketball team defeated their in-state rivals, BYU, in dramatic fashion, thanks to a stunning half-court game-winner by Matyson Wilke on the Utes senior night, 76-73.
On the stat sheet, the Utes were led by Mayè Tourè, who recorded 24 points and a season-high 14 rebounds. Gianna Kneepkens followed with 20 points, 18 of which came in the second half. Inês Vieira led the team with five assists.
After the game, Utah head coach Gavin Petersen expressed his pride in his team for their resilience and execution, especially on Senior Night, against a strong BYU squad.
“We have that resilience about us — from the seniors down. We executed our sideline out-of-bounds plays to perfection, and on that last play, we got the stop … and thank God I trusted my gut,” Petersen said when asked about his emotions after the game.
First half
Utah started the game scorching, going on a 17-3 run while allowing just one basket in the first seven minutes. However, BYU refused to be buried early, responding with an 11-1 run near the end of the first quarter. The period ended with Utah leading 18-14.
In the second quarter, BYU managed to tie the game at 18-18. In a contest full of scoring runs, the Utes answered with a 10-3 stretch, eventually extending their lead to 10 points at halftime, up 37-27.
Second Half
The Utes struggled offensively to open the second half, allowing BYU to go on a 9-2 run in the first few minutes. Utah had a difficult time finding the basket in the third quarter, shooting an appalling 2-for-14 from the field and 0-for-7 from 3-point range. Despite their cold shooting, the Utes entered the fourth quarter leading, 44-40.
Utah found their rhythm again to start the fourth, going on a 7-0 run to extend their lead to nine with just four minutes left to play. However, BYU responded with three consecutive 3-pointers, tying the game with a minute remaining. The two teams traded baskets in the final moments, and with Utah trailing by three and 23 seconds left, Kneepkens drained a clutch 3-pointer to even the score. BYU failed to score on their final possession, sending the game into overtime tied at 62.
In overtime, it felt as if both teams could not gain any sort of advantage over the other. The scoring was very back and forth the entire period. With 18.6 seconds left, Kneepkens was fouled and would drain two free throws to tie the game at 73. BYU had possession for a final shot, but Wilke came up with a steal and heaved a half-court prayer for the game-winner as time expired to take down the Cougars for the second time this year. The arena erupted as Utah’s players stormed the court in celebration in one of the most dramatic finishes in the storied rivalry’s history.
Next Up
Utah will now head to Kansas City for the Big 12 tournament that is from March 5 to 10. This tournament will determine the Utes’ future for a March Madness placement.
