Utah’s first matchup against a Big 12 legacy member turned into a thrilling contest tailor made for its ESPN2 broadcast stage.
Thanks to big games from Maye Toure and Kennady McQueen and a balanced effort where five Utah players scored five or more points, the Utes went into Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, on Sunday and took home a 75-67 victory, their seventh straight win.
“It was going to take just a collective effort for us to win this game. That’s exactly what it took,” Utah coach Gavin Petersen said in his postgame interview on 700 AM. “It took everybody. ... It just took a collective effort for us to walk out of here with a win.
“This is a very tough environment to play. I don’t care what Iowa State’s record is. That’s a really good basketball team coached by a Hall of Fame basketball coach, period. So kind of humbling, actually, to come in here and walk away with a win.”
The victory was overshadowed, though, by an injury to one of Utah’s star players, McQueen, in the final minute of the contest.
3 takeaways
Utah makes the plays down the stretch, but Kennady McQueen injury questions linger. The Utes and Cyclones were tied 58-58 halfway through the fourth quarter, before McQueen hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give Utah a six-point cushion with 3:40 to play.
Over the next three minutes, Iowa State stayed close and had the lead down to 67-65 on an Audi Crooks bucket with 47 seconds left.
That’s when Utah’s Ines Vieira hit arguably the night’s biggest shot, drilling a 3 from well beyond the arc to push the Utes’ lead to 70-65 with 26.9 seconds to play.
“I think she’s made for the moment. She’s been our leader, you know, at the point guard position for the last two years, and arguably our MVP, because as Ines goes, we go,” Petersen said.
On the ensuing possession, Toure poked the ball away from Crooks in the post, and Vieira came up with the loose ball for a key turnover.
Then the scariest moment of the night happened: on an inbound pass following a timeout, McQueen was fouled by Iowa State’s Aili Tanke on a high pass that had both players jumping in the air.
On the broadcast, Tanke appeared to hold onto McQueen’s arm as both players fell to the ground, and McQueen landed awkwardly on her left leg. McQueen could be heard screaming in pain on the TV broadcast.
An intentional foul was called after officials reviewed the play, and McQueen did not put any weight on her left leg as she was helped off the court.
Utah wrapped up the victory from that point by converting at the free-throw line.
Petersen, understandably, didn’t have an immediate update on the severity of McQueen’s injury. Any long-term loss could be critical for the veteran Utah squad: McQueen is a four-year starter who’s played in over 130 games for the Utes in the past five seasons.
“Unfortunate it happened, but injuries are part of the game, and I think the group will rally around Kennady,” Petersen said. “Hopefully we get her back sooner than later. You know, fingers crossed, but we got a big game coming up, Kansas State.”
Battle of the post players. Utah’s Toure and Iowa State’s Crooks put on a show in the post.
Toure ended the game with 24 points, nine rebounds and four assists in leading the Utah effort.
She scored 10 points in the first quarter to help Utah build a 23-17 lead through one quarter, then added six fourth-quarter points as the Utes outshot the Cyclones in the final period — 6 of 11 for Utah to 4 of 16 for Iowa State.
Toure also made a season-high four 3-pointers, including one in the final minutes that helped the Utes maintain their fourth-quarter lead.
“We knew what they were going to do defensively with Audi Crooks. It’s just that’s what they do, and she’s going to protect the paint. And so we have to pick and choose our moments when we can exploit that from the 3-point line,” Petersen said.
“Maye came out ready to roll, and I’m really proud of her courage and the time she puts into her game to be able to capitalize on moments like that.”
Crooks, a sophomore, surpassed the 1,000-point career mark in the game during the fourth quarter and ended up with a game-high 29 points and eight rebounds, though Utah forced her into five turnovers, none bigger than the one with just over 20 seconds remaining.
It was a back-and-forth game determined in the end by 3-pointers. There were nine lead changes in the game, and six of those came after halftime.
It was a tight contest overall — Utah outshot the Cyclones 47.3% to 42.1% from the field, while Iowa State had a slight edge at the free-throw line, making 14 of 17 to the Utes’ 10 of 12.
Utah, though, had a sizable advantage in 3-point shooting, making 13 of 26 to five of 20 for Iowa State.
Utah made four of six 3-pointers in the fourth, led by the two critical ones by McQueen that gave the Utes the lead for good.
McQueen ended up with 15 points, six rebounds and an assist, while Gianna Kneepkens — who had her own injury scare early in the fourth quarter before returning to action two minutes later — added nine points, four rebounds and an assist.
Iowa State had two others in double-figures: Emily Ryan scored 18 and had six assists and five rebounds, while Addy Brown added 10 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
What’s next
The Utes (12-2, 3-0 Big 12) return home for their first game at the Huntsman Center since Dec. 21, and it’s a big one.
No. 12 Kansas State comes to Salt Lake City on Wednesday, with tip time at 7 p.m. MST. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and can be heard on 700 AM.
The Wildcats are 15-1 on the season and 3-0 in Big 12 action, with their only loss coming against Duke. Kansas State is coming off a 20-point win over Texas Tech.
This is the only time Utah and Kansas State will play during the regular season.