LAS VEGAS — No. 22 Utah’s run through the Pac-12 tournament ended Thursday night in the quarterfinals against a No. 7 UCLA team that coach Lynne Roberts said has “the ability to win a national championship.”
That loss shouldn’t dampen any hope, though, that Utah could make an NCAA Tournament run similar to, or better than, its one last season when the Utes reached the Sweet Sixteen.
Far from it, say coaches and players.
“What I told them in the locker room is the tournament’s over, but our season isn’t, and our goals in the NCAA Tournament are still in front of us,” Roberts said after the Utes’ 67-57 loss to the Bruins.
“And our style of play, and I have such confidence in these guys. We get a couple of weeks to rest and heal up. We’re pretty banged up, particularly after tonight. We’ll get healthy, rested and get hungry to take it to the NCAA Tournament.”
“What I told them in the locker room is the tournament’s over, but our season isn’t. And our goals in the NCAA Tournament are still in front of us.”
— Utah coach Lynne Roberts
Banged up is an accurate description for Utah’s injury situation. The team has been without guards Gianna Kneepkens and Issy Palmer for much of the season, forward Dasia Young has spent time in concussion protocol this year and forward Jenna Johnson had her third game “where she’s needed face glue or stitches,” Roberts said after the UCLA game.
Also on Thursday, Ines Vieira had to be helped off the court twice after taking hard shots, but the cat-quick fan favorite guard nicknamed “Mosquito” returned both times and was greeted by loud cheers from the Utah faithful inside MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Still, the Utes (22-10) keep fighting on, and winning the majority of the time.
That toughness — and the experience of playing in the toughest conference in women’s basketball — is expected to be a major advantage for Utah come the NCAA Tournament.
“I feel like the Pac-12 gets us battle-tested. We learned throughout the season when we’re at our best, when we’re at our worst,” said veteran guard Kennady McQueen, who had 14 points, four steals, three rebounds and an assist against the Bruins.
“And just our run that we made last season at the NCAA Tournament, I think that just gave us experience moving forward. We’re ready to get back to work. We’ll rest up and get back to work, and I have full confidence in this group going forward in March.”
“Well said,” echoed forward Alissa Pili, who scored a team-high 16 points while adding five rebounds and two assists.
Utah struggled to shoot against a stifling UCLA defense, as the Bruins never allowed the Utes to get much of a run going while shooting 35% from the floor and 9 of 30 from 3-point range.
The Utes were also outrebounded 42-27 by the taller UCLA squad anchored by 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts.
There were positives to take away from the game — Utah never trailed by double-digits until early in the fourth quarter, and much of the night the Utes had an answer for every big UCLA shot, two weeks after the Bruins beat them by 30 in Los Angeles.
Utah also had only eight turnovers, the second-fewest in a game this season, just one day after giving up 17 in a first-round tournament win over Arizona State.
Perhaps most importantly for things looking forward, this tournament — the final Pac-12 tournament before 10 schools join other conferences next year — and the league’s regular season action seasoned the Utes for the NCAAs.
“I told them this in the locker room. I think every team in this conference that goes on to the NCAA Tournament is in the same boat in terms of we know each other so well, conference opponents,” Roberts said.
“... Going into the NCAA Tournament, it’s kind of exciting to play somebody different. It’s been two and a half months of kind of beating the crap out of each other, all 12 of us, all 12 teams. But iron sharpens iron. I think every team, that’s why we do so well in the tournament.
“I think our style of play is unique. I think it presents challenges that if you haven’t faced it, you’re not used to it, so I think that is an advantage of ours in the NCAA Tournament.”
UCLA coach Cori Close tends to agree.
“Watching them in non-conference, we happened to be in Connecticut — we played Florida State and they played South Carolina, and watching their style, there’s very few teams that play that way, and they spread you out so far,” Close said of Utah.
“Their ball reversal is so good. They have multiple people that are shooting the 3, but they also have an inside presence, both off the post feed but also the way they attack off the bounce.”
Close, minutes after Roberts praised UCLA for playing tremendous and hard while adding “they have what it takes” to be a national title contender, concluded that Utah will also be a tough matchup for whoever it faces in the NCAA Tournament.
Both teams, along with several others in the Pac-12, will find out their NCAA Tournament seeding on Selection Sunday, March 17.
“I think that they really are poised. If they can shoot the ball well enough and get good ball reversal — the biggest thing for them is how well they played defensively tonight. I think that’s really what allows them to take advantage of their offensive skill set,” Close said of Utah.
“That’s what I give them the most credit for. I think they’re going to be a really, really tough out in the NCAA Tournament.”
