For sure. We also had McQueen at full strength. Hopeful Kennedy is close to 100%.
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Crazy 2nd half, but I"ll take the win
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PhewâŚthat was a close one.
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Gianna is just on another level right now. 29 points, 8 boards over the last 4 games.
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Boy Howdy!! What more can you say. I will point out a couple of weak spots. She has trouble finishing drives with someone on her and with ball handling under pressure. Scoring 28 pts will do a lot to damper those weaknesses.
I watched the game with a lot of anxiety for the Utes. That press really got them messed up, and that #2 for Arizona is quick. That said, AZâs success with the full court press really covered up how poorly Arizona played offense. They needed all those extra possessions to even be in the game. If the Utes handle that press a bit better, it is a blowout.
Through parts of the 3rd quarter through the 4th quarter, AZ outscored the Utes 26-4. Thank god they sucked at offense when it really mattered.
That full-court press (for the whole damn game) really wore AZ out and caused them a lot of foul trouble. That press was very physical and the refs probably could have called a foul on somebody on most of the Utah turnovers in backcourt, rather than just some.
Once we get a bit of a lead in the 4th quarter, it was about free throws, and with Kneepkens taking most of them, Arizona had to do a lot to keep up. The AZ players looked totally gassed at the end of the game, which allowed that 9-0 Ute streak to seal the game.
Frosh Watch: Walker played a bit and actually showed some decent ball-handling against the press. However, neither she nor Wilke could stop #2 on her drives. No one else played.
Crispe off the bench did some good things in her short time.
Johnson had another really good game scoring when needed and on the boards and led the team in assists. That three ball at the end was one of those âoh no! oh yes!â types. What a dagger to the heart of AZ.
Ross played sparingly as she canât handle the ball as well as Johnson can in the back court. Wilke looked more aggressive in taking shots. However, she passed up at least two good 3 pt opportunities. She needs to look for her shot more.
McQueen had a very nice game, not shooting, but her defense really makes a difference, and she has a handle when pressed. She made one 3 just after a whistle for an O-foul and you could tell she was, âof course I make it when it wonât countâ look on her face.
Next up, Texas Tech in Lubbock on Wednesday then home on Saturday against UCF.
TT has a 2 game losing streak with a bad loss to a very mediocre Kansas team last Wednesday. TT plays in Boulder tomorrow, then home for Utah, so, they have to travel as well. UCF is dreadful and it should be an easy win.
Great win, let out that big sigh, and thank your chosen deity that you are a Ute.
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I watched a little bit of the Texas Tech vs. Colorado game from Sunday. Colorado won pretty comfortably, but I did notice that Texas Tech pressed. Whether that was because they went down big early or if that is part of what they do, I am not sure.
One thing I am sure of is that after the Arizona game, more teams will press us. The Utes need to be prepared and do two things they have had trouble doing all year, get off the starting blocks on time and limit turnovers. This is a road game and this team is tough overcoming many problems so far this season.
TT is beatable at home by this team.
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Just finished watching the TT game. First, good to see Johnson having a nice game. Without her offense tonight, Utah would have lost. Kneepkens was in a funk, couldnât hit anything. Our bigs have very loose handles on the ball. When Ross has the ball in her hand, sheâs either scoring or turning it over.
Love Viera and love McQueen. McQueen, besides her 3-pt shooting prowess (4/8 tonight), she plays a tough defense, and she has the handle and the ability to drive with her quick feet. Conversely, Kneepkens actually does not have quick feet, but her craftiness and smart compensate for that.
Overall, it was an ok game. Again, when we get pressed, itâs almost as though the team loses all its senses. Hey, a win is a win, especially away. Iâll take it.
p.s. McQueen will be a big loss for next year. And, Iâm still concerned with our bigs next year.
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Johnson and McQueen were the heroes of the game. I had a hunch that Johnson would have a good game, because in the game against Colorado, TT didnât have much interior defense. I also like what Johnson did in breaking the press by having a decent handle up the court.
The game was won in the 2nd half when McQueen hit those three 3âs in succession, that gave the Utes the cushion they needed to get the game to the end.
You are right about Ross, but I would add, she is good rebounder, especially in traffic. Wilke had a decent game, with no glaring errors.
Frosh Watch: Walker played a couple of minutes and was invisible other than a good handle up the court against the press one time. No one else saw the court.
As you said, Kneepkens didnât have a good game, seemed to have trouble with the rhythm of the game generally. Seemed just a bit off and she had 6 turnovers!
Defensively, the team performed much better in the 2nd half. In the first two quarters, TT was 7-11 on threeâs but only 2-6 in the 2nd half. Good job not letting them just fire away at will like they did in the first.
The stats donât show a great game by the team, but, as always, they tough it out and just know how to win.
It seems the team is down to basically a seven player rotation because of no reasonable depth and shows the concern you have talked about a few times for next year. Those recruits need to not only make it here, but contribute. Peterson needs to hit the portal hard to get us that depth.
On to play UCF at home on Saturday at 1:30. It is the 50th anniversary celebration of the program and a lot of former players will be there. So, get out to the game.
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One positive was to see others pick up the slack when Kneepkins was off.
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Yes indeed, it was fun to see the fully operational McQueen again, for example.
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I was finally able to watch the Utes v. UCF game. As I suspected UCF wasnât much competition. That said, I am sure the players felt some relief to finally not be full-court pressed an entire game and able to take time to run their offense. A lot of teams are better shooters at home, but this team sure seems to be especially hot at home, to the tune of a nice 44 point win.
You canât say anything about this game without saying that Kneepkenâs bounceback from a cold game in Lubbock was especially good to see. As an aside, I thought Petersen left her out there way too long (along with other starters) but it did get her two more wide open threes to get to 32 points. She got injured last year while playing garbage time minutes.
McQueen did a great job on their best player #3. I have to think those games in Waco and Ft. Worth would have been a bit different if we had her defense to help.
Frosh Watch: Walker played a bit more than usual and seemed useful. I wonder why Foster wasnât used, Wilke played through garbage time instead. Is she injured? Anybody know? Ray got a minute or so in the 1st half, the offense went nowhere and she was removed until garbage time.
Fun to see Sow get some time and some shots. I always wondered why they didnât use her with a short clock on out-of-bounds defense, glad to see they tried it. She is so big, hard for an inbounder to see.
Even though the starters played deeper into the game than I thought they should have, no one was over 30 minutes. They will need the rest with the schedule they have coming up.
Colorado on Wednesday, and though they have dropped off with Vonleh transfering to Baylor and the graduation of Sherrod, they are still a good team with Formann coming back. They are coming into SLC off a loss to Iowa State in Ames by 30 points, but have a winning record in conference. The Utes canât overlook them.
Saturday, the head to Tempe for ASU and easily their easiest game left on the schedule. After that game, it is games at home against Oklahoma St (a real good team and lucky to get them at home) and BYU (who knows which team we will see) and road games against Cincinnati and WVU, both very though.
I am sticking with prediction that the Utes win at ASU and at home vs. BYU with toss-ups for home against OSU and away at Cincinnati, and a loss at WVU (who is very good).
I donât see our net rating changing much over these next few games. I just hope we can get like a 3, 4, 5, or 6 seed in the tourney so that we avoid a #1 or #2 seed in the round of 32.
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Good work. Unless we sweep the remainder of the B12 games, I donât think we get anything higher than 6th seed.
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Foster missed a lot of non-conf with an injury and my guess is that they decided to redshirt her.
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OK, that makes sense. I knew about the injury in preseason. I did wonder if it was another injury, but she seemed to not be hobbling or wearing anything the other night that would have suggested an injury.
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Game day! Big game tonight vs CU.
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Samantha Crispe has made a lot of progress from last year.
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Agreed.
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It is amazing how much better she looks. If you look back in this thread to the first of the season I was the last person that believed she and Toure would make it work in the post. Crispe played good defense and even got hosed on a foul where she stood still and straight up but because the Colorado player had to lean back on her shot, the ref thought she bumped her.
As to the game, I know that Colorado was missing important pieces, but the Utes still took care of business. Early, it looked like Colorado would never miss a three-pointer. But, starting in the late 2nd quarter and all through the 3rd quarter, it was beast-time for the Utes.
McQueen had a rough shooting night, bricking her first three led me to think, she doesnât have the feel tonight. She finally did make one in the 3rd quarter during the run.
Petersen has talked about Wilke needing to shoot more, and nothing emphasized that more than last night. She had two wide open shots and instead passed to someone else who not only was covered, but threw the pass at their feet. Not good. Just take the shot Matyson!
Frosh watch: Ray got garbage time minutes, but Walker is continuing to be used in rotation. She isnât doing much other than taking time so that others can rest, her box-score is always light on stats.
Johnson is just steady and Ross still showing that at times, she has trouble handling the ball. In the Utes offense she is going to touch the ball a fair amount and needs to be more secure with her hands.
In all, a great night. Now comes one more (what should be) easy game against ASU in Tempe on Saturday. Then the grind through to the end.
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Very happy with the win. That said, when I look at CUâs young players vs Utahâs young players in the 4th, wow, big difference. CU has the injury big, just came off two straight Sweet 16 performances, and seems to have a really nice pipeline/supply of young players.
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