Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Western Colorado (EXHIBITION) on October 27, 2025 at 7:00 PM
7:00 PM
Women's Basketball
vs Western Colorado (EXHIBITION)
The University of Utah Athletics
Saturday, January 2
San Francisco, CA
TBA
University of Utah
60
at
56
San Francisco
Women's Hoops Down San Francisco, 60-56
6/21/1999 12:00 AM | Women's Basketball
January 3, 1999
SAN FRANCISCO - Junior point guard Tiana Fuertes may well have come of age on Saturday afternoon, making two free throws and a layup off of a steal in a momentum changing series with 24 seconds left to lift Utah to a 60-56 win at San Francisco. The win was the Utes' sixth in a row and their ninth in the last 10 games to improve to 9-2.
Sophomore Lori Red led the Utes with 15 points, connecting on 7-of-14 field goals. She also had five boards in 38 minutes. Lauren Beckman scored 12 points and led Utah with six rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench. Fuertes, Kristina Andersen and Kristi Rose each had nine points. Fuertes also had five assists. Andersen contributed four assists and three steals. Brittany Lindhe scored a game-high 21 points and had seven boards to lead San Francisco, which fell to 5-7.
The Lady Dons led 53-48 with 4:25 remaining in the second half before Utah cranked up the defense and outscored USF 12-1 with the exception of a controversial lay-up by Sarah Wanless at the buzzer to close out the game.
Katherine McColl got a layup with 63 seconds remaining to put Utah ahead 55-54. Fuertes drew a foul with 24 seconds left and made both free throws. Then after a San Francisco timeout, Fuertes stole the inbounds pass and converted a layup to put the Utes in control, 59-54. Beckman added a free throw with 10 seconds remaining.
Fuertes impressed her head coach with her performance. "To get that steal in a key situation like that and make a play to the layup was big for us," said Elaine Elliott. "She also did a nice job of handling the ball against the press. She did a great job for us as a leader."
Utah was outrebounded 22-16 but held USF to 23.1 percent shooting and just six field goals in the second half after the score was tied 33-33 at halftime. Utah's offense sputtered at times in the second half as well. The Utes scored only 10 of their 27 second-half points in the first 13 minutes, allowing USF to build a 49-43 lead. The Lady Dons did most their damage at the free throw line, making 11-of-14 in the second half.
"We took a different philosophy in later the second half and went zone," said Elliott. "But, I don't believe that it's a coaching move that made the difference. We just decided to crank it up and get after it. We have to learn to rebound better and play a complete 40 minutes, not just play a good four minutes at the end of the game to get the win. But, our kinds know that, and they want the same thing that we as a coaching staff do and they're working at it."
Utah was outboarded 38-33 for the game, but outshot San Francisco 49.0 to 33.9 percent from the field.
The Utes close out their non-conference schedule on Tuesday, hosting SMU at the Jon M. Huntsman Center at 7:00 p.m.
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