The Utah women’s basketball team celebrated Alumni Night Saturday and responded with one of its best outings of the season.
First-year coach Gavin Peterson may have felt some pressure from the many former players and coaches in the nearby stands, but he was eventually able to relax after the Utes got 32 points from Gianna Kneepkens and three other players finished in double figures as Utah rolled to a 95-51 win over UCF in a Big 12 Conference game at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
The Utes never trailed. They shot 54% from the field and set school records with 16 3-pointers and 28 assists (on 32 baskets).
Kneepkens tied her season high, making 10 of 11 shots, and she was a perfect 6 of 6 from the free throw line. She got Utah off to a fast start with a layup and a free throw less than a minute into the game and was the recipient of many crisp passes from her teammates as the Utes scored their season-high in Big 12 games and earned their most convincing league win so far.
“Really excited about the performance of the team and what we were able to do in a really unselfish fashion,” said Petersen, who has a 15-4 record since taking over for Lynne Roberts in mid-November.
“Our players do a good job on what the defense is giving to them. It was a great night … a great performance.”
The season high 5,909 fans also got to see at least 50 former players and coaches, and it was revealed that Elaine Elliott, who coached from 1983-2010 and won nearly 600 games, would be permanently recognized with a banner in her honor lifted to the arena’s rafters.
A ceremony to raise the banner will occur sometime next season.
Kneepkens, a junior who is averaging 18.6 points per game and leading the league in free-throw shooting percentage, might also eventually have her name hoisted.
Petersen said Kneepkens was likely motivated after being held to six points in Utah’s win at Texas Tech last Wednesday.
“You’re not going to hold her to six points very often,” he said. “I bet you Gianna had a hard time sleeping after that last game and was back in the gym early the next day. She got a little more hungry. She got loose for some back doors and that left her open from the perimeter. Gianna is a special player.”
Kneepkens also had a lot of help. McQueen had her best game since returning from injury, Wilke had 12 points, Reese Ross added 10 and Maye Toure had eight points and 11 rebounds.
Utah led 43-28 at halftime but busted the game open against the Golden Knights with a 13-1 scoring run to end the third quarter and then 15 straight points midway through the fourth.
“No one was worried about who was scoring,” said Wilke. “Everyone was making the extra pass. We had a strong team game today and when that happens, the basket gets bigger and it gets fun.
“The last couple of games, having Kennady and Gianna having good games was good for us. That’s given us confidence and will help us in the postseason. I don’t’ think we’re at our best yet but we’re getting there.”
Utah improved to 18-5 overall and 9-3 in league play, which is good for a tie for fourth place in the standings with six games remaining. UCF fell to 8-14 overall and 1-11 in league after losing both games on its road trip to BYU and Utah.
Kaitlin Peterson, the Knights’ top scorer at 20.3 points per game, led her team with 17 Saturday.