Regardless of season finale setback, Utes girls assured in postseason alternatives

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LAS VEGAS — A somber and upset feeling blanketed the Huntsman Middle Saturday afternoon because the Utah girls’s basketball group exited the courtroom after struggling a double-digit loss on senior evening to a group that had beforehand received solely 5 convention video games.

The common season wasn’t supposed to finish that method — not for the group that was picked to win the convention within the Pac-12 preseason ballot.

Saturday was a recreation towards a down Washington group that felt like a gimme recreation to closeout the season as Utah hoped for a top-four seed within the Pac-12 Event and a possible alternative to host the NCAA Event within the Huntsman Middle for the second consecutive season.

Right away, all of that was gone.

In some ways, it was the antithesis to final season when the Utes celebrated a win over Stanford within the season finale and a share of the Pac-12 regular-season title.

There have been no nets lower down Saturday, only a lingering feeling of remorse after what junior guard Kennady McQueen described as a “bizarre” recreation.

“I felt like our effort and arduous work was there, however it felt like we had been only a step behind in all the pieces we had been attempting to do,” McQueen mentioned. “So it was a bizarre recreation, and it was disappointing, as I am positive it was for coaches. It felt like that as teammates, too.”

Head coach Lynne Roberts mentioned it was “thoughts boggling,” and a type of video games the place she was left questioning “what on the earth was that?”

It was removed from the expectations she’s helped preach inside the program. However the loss, she mentioned, may function a galvanizing second after an “up and down” season outlined largely by key accidents to Gianna Kneepkens and Issy Palmer. If something, it was a harsh reminder that any perceived success will be rapidly wiped away immediately.

“We will not try this anymore, and if we need to make a deep run within the NCAA Event, which I feel we will, we won’t do it in any respect. … If we won’t get motivated to play our tails off and coach our tails off, then we should lose,” Roberts mentioned. “That is simply form of the mentality proper now.”

It is a contemporary reminder as her group enters the Pac-12 Event hungry to play higher.

“We didn’t go in anticipating to play like that, so simply coming off a recreation like that, I imply, as a competitor we hate taking part in like that; we hate after we play like that, so we’re simply so excited to get an opportunity to go at ASU and get some revenge there, and actually present and make our case for the NCAA Event and seeding,” McQueen mentioned.

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Final season, Utah entered the event with success on its aspect, coming off a record-breaking season and a share of the regular-season title. In some methods, it led to some complacency among the many group and the Utes “appeared flat,” Roberts recalled. The Utes misplaced early to eventual champion Washington State.

“This 12 months, we’re coming off a recreation the place it was like, ‘What on the earth was that?’ And so everyone’s a bit pissed off and motivated,” Roberts mentioned. “And now we’re coming into the event that method, so I feel it is like a 180 distinction from mentality.”

And although it is a “gauntlet” of a event, particularly with six groups ranked contained in the Related Press High 25 ballot, Roberts maintains the boldness she’s at all times had about her group and their postseason alternatives.

The Utes are “battle examined,” she mentioned, and has seen all the pieces Pac-12 groups can throw at them. However she’s fast to level out, too, that “it has been an inconsistent 12 months” and something is feasible. Her group has performed like a group that may be harmful within the postseason and go far, and so they’ve additionally been a group able to getting beat by double digits.

“The 12 months has been form of up and down — three steps ahead, one step again,” she mentioned. “A few of the issues we won’t management. … There’s been so many issues that we won’t management that added to that, after which there’s issues that we may management that added to it.

“I really feel like our group is in a great spot, and if you cannot get motivated to play at your finest — and that does not imply it’s important to play completely — however play at your finest when it comes to depth, vitality, focus, controlling the issues you may management, then you do not should win,” Roberts added. “And I really feel like our guys are in a great spot with that.”

Although considerably apparent, there isn’t any doubt from the teaching employees or gamers that Utah has what it takes to nonetheless obtain its purpose of profitable the Pac-12 and making a deep run within the NCAA Event. The problem could also be tougher now than beforehand thought, however it’s nonetheless a succesful group.

“I really feel very assured in our group,” McQueen mentioned. “After we play effectively, after we play collectively, we’re so arduous to beat. So we simply must get again to that and try this persistently. Now’s the time; there isn’t any extra second possibilities — you lose you go residence. So beginning tomorrow, we have got to point out up and win some video games.”

Utah opens up the Pac-12 Event Wednesday (9:30 p.m. MST, Pac-12 Networks) in a first-round recreation towards the Eleventh-seeded Arizona Solar Devils on the MGM Grand Backyard Enviornment in Las Vegas. To see the complete bracket, click on right here.

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