SALT LAKE CITY — In a game of runs, Utah women’s basketball dug itself a hole, chipped its way back into the game to take the lead and then let up another big run to finish the game in a 67-60 loss to Providence.
Lola Pendande had 21 points for the Utes in the loss. Utah struggled from the field for most of the game, third quarter excluded, shooting 33% overall and just 25% from 3.
“I thought Lola played great, she battled. She did a really nice job. It was nice to have Dru (Gylten) back out there. We just need a more complete, total team effort,” Utah coach Lynne Roberts said.
It looked like Utah was going to be run out of the Huntsman Center in the early going on Monday night.
At the end of the first quarter, Providence’s Mary Baskerville — who finished with 17 total points — had outscored the Utes 14-9. Utah went into a field goal drought to end the first period and to start the second quarter. After a Niyah Becker layup with 2:41 left in the first quarter, the Utes didn’t score a field goal until Brynna Maxwell hit a 3-pointer with 7:31 left in the second quarter. Providence went on a 13-4 run during Utah’s field goal drought to extend its lead to 28-11. The Utes headed into the locker room with a bit of momentum thanks to a 7-0 run to close the half but still trailed by 15 points.
“I was embarrassed with how we competed in the first half — it was embarrassing. I challenged them at halftime to just play with some fight, regardless of outcome,” Roberts said. “I’m not going to coach players that don’t fight.”
“I thought Lola played great, she battled. She did a really nice job. It was nice to have Dru (Gylten) back out there. We just need a more complete, total team effort.” — Utah coach Lynne Roberts
Pendande said the team practiced well this week and it didn’t show in the first half.
Utah took its momentum from the close of the first half into the second half and looked like a completely different team in the third quarter. The Utes scored the first 10 points of the third quarter while holding Providence to just one basket through nearly seven minutes of game time for a 17-2 run. Utah tied the game on a pair of Maxwell free throws with before Earlette Scott nailed a 3-pointer to put the Friars ahead again.
“I’m proud of the way they responded. We just started competing. Defensively, we just started competing. They scored eight points in that third quarter,” Roberts said.
Utah finally regained the lead with a Pendande layup to gain a 50-49 advantage with eight minutes to go in the game. It was the Utes’ first lead since the opening basket of the contest. But right after it looked like Utah had turned the corner, it reverted into its first-half ways for the remainder of the game. After finally taking the lead, Utah surrendered a 15-4 run as the Utes simply couldn’t buy a basket.
“We just struggled to score. I thought we had momentum entirely in that third and to start the fourth and we couldn’t convert,” Roberts said. “We got a little bit tired and our bench had a hard time scoring tonight. Before Dru hit that 30-footer (at the end of the game), we were 3-for-22 from 3. It’s hard to beat anybody, but it’s going to be darn near impossible against a really good team like Providence. So much of our offense is predicated on spreading the floor.”
Providence improved its record to 8-1, while Utah fell to 6-4.
“They’ve got a great point guard that can create her own shot or shots for others, they’ve got shooters, they run good stuff, they’re very athletic and they’ve got a really good post player. She’s a Power Five post; she’s really good,” Roberts said of the Friars.
Providence is similar to some Pac-12 teams and provided a good test before the Utes start conference play on Dec. 29 against Colorado.
“That was very much like a Pac-12 game and that’s what I told them at halftime, too,” Roberts said. “This is going to happen on Dec. 29 when we play Colorado — if we come out with that intensity, we’re going to be down 20 at half again.”