Utes girls survive Solar Devils, draw back for 71-60 win in first spherical of Pac-12 Tourney

Estimated learn time: 3-4
minutes

LAS VEGAS — The way in which it began, the Pac-12 Event was going to be a brief keep for the Utah girls’s basketball group.

“If we won’t get motivated to play our tails off and coach our tails off, then we should lose,” Roberts mentioned a day earlier than the sport. “That is simply type of the mentality proper now.”

That motivation did not appear to take impact till the second quarter — not till Maty Wilke hit a 3-pointer to spark an eventual 14-2 Utah run to erase a 7-point deficit. Utah flipped the deficit and turned it right into a then game-high 8-point lead.

However very like most video games in March, leads do not final for lengthy.

Arizona State battled again to make it a 2-point sport within the third quarter amid a flurry of Utah turnovers — the group completed with 17 turnovers to result in 15 Arizona State factors. The risk was short-lived, although, as Alissa Pili began to take cost on each ends of the ground.

Utah managed to regulate a 9-point lead going into the ultimate quarter after Ines Vieira hit a big-time past half court docket heave on the buzzer. It was a play that, arguably, modified the tone of the sport.

“Yeah, that was nice,” Roberts mentioned of Vieira’s shot. “I imply, these are momentum pictures. I have been on the opposite finish of these. We do that truly in observe. It isn’t like we observe half-court pictures, however we do a capturing drill the place they’ve the primary individual to make a half-court shot. I do not suppose Ines has made all of it season, so she saved it at this time.”

The Utes then held on within the last body to drag away for a 71-60 first-round victory. And with that, Utah breathed a sigh of aid after a uneven sport that began all incorrect in a turnover-laden quarter.

“I believed they got here to compete, and so they performed actually arduous,” Roberts mentioned of Arizona State. “They did not make it straightforward on us, for positive. That is spectacular from them, and I believed they performed nicely. I believed within the first half we have been simply type of sputtering. Offensively we weren’t executing very nicely. Within the second half we have been a lot better. … We had too many turnovers. We’ve got to wash that up and quick, however pleased with our group.”

Vieira was pivotal for an Utah (22-9, 12-7 Pac-12) group that struggled at occasions to piece collectively constant play on offense. The shifty, fast guard completed with 18 factors — 12 of which got here within the first half — 5 rebounds and three assists to assist tempo Utah to a win.

Pili, who was held to only 4 factors within the first half, added a team-high 20 factors on 8-of-12 capturing and 11 rebounds; and Wilke offered a much-needed 10 factors, together with two 3-pointers, 4 assists and two rebounds.

The Solar Devils (11-20, 3-16 Pac-12), who made it a worthy first-round struggle, have been led in scoring by Trayanna Crisp, who completed with 19 factors on 7-of-13 capturing. Jalyn Brown added 15 factors and 5 rebounds as the one different participant to attain in double digits for Arizona State.

Utah returns to motion Thursday (9:30 p.m. MST, Pac-12 Networks) on the MGM Grand Backyard Area towards UCLA.

Most up-to-date Utah Utes tales