This week, the Utah Women’s Basketball Team beat both Kansas and Kansas State on the road. On Wednesday, the Utes held off the Kansas Jayhawks 62-59 at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. On Saturday, they traveled to Manhattan, Kansas, to beat the Kansas State Wildcats 80-73.
Game 1: Wednesday vs. Kansas
The Utes started slow in the first quarter, down 18-10 at the start of the second. Senior guard Lani White scored the first points of the game on a layup, but after that, the Utes went cold. Forward Reese Ross scored twice to lead the team with four points. Brooke Walker and Chyra Evans both scored one basket each to close out a quarter where good looks at the basket were scarce.
In the second quarter, both teams went scoreless for the first two and a half minutes before Kansas and Utah traded buckets. Senior guard Maty Wilke scored her first bucket of the game on a floater to break the scoring drought for the Utes. Freshman guard LA Sneed drained a three-pointer to close the lead to five before Lani White went on a 7-2 personal run. White scored a layup while being fouled and hit the free throw. On the next possession, she drained a 12-foot mid-range jump shot. After the Jayhawks scored, White then drove down, missed a layup, got her own rebound, and tipped it in for seven straight points. Ross chipped in with another bucket, but the Utes still went into halftime down 28-26. The Utes outscored Kansas 16-10 in the quarter to close the gap, largely due to White.
Coming out of halftime, the Utes grabbed the momentum back when Reese Ross scored a layup and swished a three-pointer on back-to-back offensive possessions. Chyra Evans then scored two baskets and a free throw for her own personal 5-0 run. She would score another basket with a foul, scoring eight total points in the quarter. The teams continued to battle until Lani White drained two free throws and swished a three-pointer to help the Utes regain the lead. LA Sneed hit two three-pointers in the last 1:12 of the quarter to stretch the Ute lead to six. Utah led 50-44 after three quarters, outscoring the Jayhawks 24-16 in a third-quarter surge.
In the fourth quarter, Utah scored 12 points, all on three-point baskets. Wilke hit two, Foster hit one, and White hit one. With 3:30 remaining in the game, the Utes led 62-50. Kansas would then go on a 9-0 scoring run, coming back and getting a last chance three-point shot at the buzzer that missed. Kansas outscored Utah 15-12 in the quarter, nearly forcing overtime. White finished with 17 points, Ross with 11, and Evans chipped in 10 points. Ross also added nine rebounds to lead the team. Both teams shot similar percentages from the field, but the advantage for the Utes came from three-point shooting. Utah shot 9/28 (32.1%) while Kansas shot 3/16 (18.8%).
Game 2: Saturday vs. Kansas State
The Utes started strong against the Kansas State Wildcats, racing out to a 12-5 lead early. Evans and Wilke made layups, and Reese Ross scored six points, a three-pointer, and an and-1 basket. White made a three-pointer and Walker scored a midrange bucket, while guard Grace Foster drained shots on back-to-back possessions in the last minute of the quarter, including a three-pointer. Utah-22 KSU-14.
In the second quarter, Ross hit a three-pointer after grabbing an offensive rebound on the first possession. Foster then scored five straight for the second time this game, hitting two free throws and a three-pointer. Ross scored another six points in the quarter, going a perfect 6/6 shooting from the field for the first half. Freshman Avery Hjelmstad ended the half with a three-pointer, scoring her first bucket of the game. The Utes outscored the Wildcats 19-15 in the quarter, taking a 41-29 lead into halftime. At one point, the Utes led by as many as 17 points before Kansas State fought back.
Coming out of halftime, Brooke Walker started the Utes’ scoring with a three-pointer. Foster added another five points, with a three-pointer and a mid-range jumper. Wilke had four, including two free throws, while the Utes as a team outscored the Wildcats 19-12. The Utah lead grew as big as 23 points in the 3rd quarter. Utah-61 KSU-40.
In the fourth quarter, Kansas State clawed back and made it a competitive game, outscoring the Utes 32-20. Wilke had eight points, including a three-pointer and three free throws. Foster hit another three-pointer, and in crunch time, Lani White and LA Sneed hit all of their free throws when Kansas State started fouling. The Utes managed to keep them at arm’s length and close them out, despite the spirited fourth quarter from the Wildcats. Final Score: Utah 80, KSU 73.
Reese Ross finished with a double-double for the third time this season and fifth time in her career (21 points, 10 rebounds) and a career high in points. Ross also set a career high in field goal makes, shooting 9/11 from the field. Grace Foster also posted a career high of 17 points, and Wilke finished with 14 points.
Utah shot 50% from the field to Kansas State’s 46.9%. From three-point range, the Utes shot 11/30 (36.1%) while the Wildcats shot 8/29 (27.6%).
Head Coach Gavin Petersen on the fourth quarter: “Credit to the Kansas State coaches, they went into a zone defense, which was the first time we have seen it all season. I challenged our team to start every quarter with some intensity and focus, and we did that. In the fourth quarter, we started to play not to lose, as opposed to attacking and playing to win. It’s better to learn these lessons on how to close out during wins as opposed to losses,” Petersen said.
Coming up, Utah will take the floor on Jan. 14, at home against Baylor.
