Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Eastern Kentucky on March 19, 2026 , Loss , 58, to, 72
Final Score
Women's Basketball
58
at Eastern Kentucky
72
The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Women's Basketball Notes
3/24/2003 12:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 24, 2003
RALEIGH, N.C. -
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
COMING UP:
The No. 8-seed Utes (24-6) face No. 1-seed Duke (32-1) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at 7:06 p.m. (EST) tomorrow, March 25, at Reynolds Coliseum on the campus of North Carolina State in Raleigh, N.C.
A QUICK LOOK AT UTAH:
Freshman Kim Smith scored a career-high 35 points to lead the Utah women's basketball team (24-6) past DePaul, 73-64, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at North Carolina State in Raleigh, N.C., yesterday. Smith went 11-for-16 (69 percent) on the game, including 3-for-5 from three-point range. Sophomore Shona Thorburn finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, her second double-double of the season. Junior Carley Marshall added nine points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
As a team, Utah shot 50 percent from the field on the game and 82 percent from the free throw line. The Utes out-rebounded the Blue Demons 38-26 and held them to 40 percent shooting.
On the season, the Utes are led by Smith, who averages 17.3 points and 6.4 rebounds. Thorburn adds 14.7 points and a team-high 3.3 assists, while junior Carley Marshall averages 10.1 points and 6.1 rebounds.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION:
Alana Beard scored 19 points and the Blue Devils set a school record for wins in a season but struggled to a 66-48 victory over Georgia State in the first round of the Midwest Regional yesterday. Beard also added eight rebounds and four blocks as Duke dominated the offensive boards 21-6 and outscored the Lady Panthers 18-2 from the foul line.
Duke, playing for the first time in 13 days, won despite shooting 29 percent in the second half. The top-seeded Blue Devils (32-1) didn't get their first double-digit lead of the second half until more than midway through the period against the 16th-seeded Lady Panthers (20-11), the champions of the Atlantic Sun Conference who had won 10 straight entering the game.
Beard leads the Blue Devils on the season with 21.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.9 steals, while Iciss Tillis adds 14.7 points and 7.5 rebounds.
SERIES SHORTS:
* Utah has never faced the Blue Devils before.
QUOTING HEAD COACH ELAINE ELLIOTT (on scouting Duke before yesterday's win):
"We didn't do any looking ahead (past DePaul). Our scouting starts right now."
NEW UTAH FRESHMAN SCORING LEADER:
In the Utes' win over DePaul, freshman Kim Smith became the Utah freshman scoring leader. She now has 520 points on the season, good for eighth place all-time in the Ute single season records. Smith, who leads the team in scoring, rebounding, field goals made, three-point field goals made, free throws made, field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage, also set the Utah postseason single game scoring record, which was previously held by Mikki Kane-Barton (33) vs. Creighton in 1991.
UTES AND THE NCAA TOURNAMENT:
This is Utah's 12th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and seventh appearance in the last nine years. After yesterday's win over DePaul, the Utes own a 4-11 record in the NCAAs.
The Utes qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time during the 1982-83 season. Utah was eliminated in the first round in each of its first seven appearances (1983, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1995 and 1996), including a heartbreaking two-point loss to Southwest Missouri State in 1995.
In 1997, the Utes defeated Iowa State 66-57 in the first round to advance to their first-ever NCAA second round.
During the 2000-01 season, the Utes' last NCAA appearance, Utah hosted the first- and second-rounds, winning both games to break through to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. The Utes lost that game to Notre Dame, the eventual national champion.
RECORD SETTERS:
This year's Utes have already set new Utah single season records for three-point field goals made (211) and three-point field goals attempted (602). The team currently ranks first in the Ute season record books for fewest disqualifications (4), second in free throw percentage (76.1) and fifth in steals (301).
In addition, the team set single game records for three-pointers made (13 vs. Montana Tech and Western Carolina), three-point field goals attempted (33 at. New Mexico) and free throw percentage (96.3 at Wyoming).
RANKING NATIONALLY:
Utah, currently ranked 24th in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) RPI, leads the nation in scoring defense, and ranks 13th in scoring margin and 19th in average margin of victory. Individually, freshman Kim Smith ranks 16th nationally in three-point field goal percentage in statistics through March 17.
DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE:
Utah has held all but five of its opponents this season under 60 points. The Utes, who are shooting 42 percent from the field on the year, have only allowed seven opponents (New Mexico State, Mississippi State, Weber State, New Mexico, Wyoming, Brigham Young and Air Force) to reach that mark.
NCAA TOURNAMENT TELECASTS:
Utah's game against Duke will air live on ESPN at 7:06 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday, March 25. The DirectTV channel for Tuesday's game is 782.
NCAA TOURNAMENT RADIO BROADCASTS:
Utah's second-round game vs. Duke in the NCAA Tournament will be broadcast live on KALL 910-AM. The game will be called by Rick Bouillon, who has served as a play-by-play broadcaster for games at the collegiate and high school level for several schools and stations.
UP NEXT:
Should the Utes defeat Duke on Tuesday, they will advance to the NCAA Regional Tournament, March 29-31, in Albuquerque, N.M.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballUtah: 66, Cincinnati: 73 | Big 12 Tournament | Utah Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Wednesday, March 11
Utah: 75, Baylor: 101 | Utah Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, March 08
Utah: 78, Colorado: 92 | Utah Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Wednesday, March 04
Utah: 81, Colorado: 67 | Women's Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, March 01