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
4/9/2003 12:00 AM | Women's Basketball
April 9, 2003
SALT LAKE CITY -
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The 2002-03 Utah women's basketball team exceeded all expectations. With just one starter returning from last year's squad and no seniors, the Utes were picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West Conference by just one point.
The Utes, however, had other plans. Utah clinched the regular season title with two games remaining and posted three more conference wins than the second-place team. The Utes also advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they fell to No. 1 Duke in a hard-fought, closely-played game.
Listed below are the some of the noteworthy accomplishments of this year's team:
* Utah led the nation in scoring defense, giving up just 50.6 points per game. The Utes also ranked ninth in personal fouls per game, 13th in scoring margin, 15th in turnovers, 16th in three-point field goal average, 24th in winning percentage and 26th in free throw percentage. Individually, freshman Kim Smith ranked 16th nationally in three-point field goal percentage.
* Head Coach Elaine Elliott was named Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year for the third time in four seasons. Elliott won the 400th game of her career on Jan. 16, in the Utes' conference-opening victory over Wyoming. She now has a 413-171 (.707) career record.
* Freshman Kim Smith was named a Women's Basketball Coaches Association honorable mention All-American, as selected by selected WBCA member coaches in each of the eight WBCA geographical regions. Smith, who reached double figures scoring in all but one game, was one of four freshmen nationally to make the list.
* For the first time in Mountain West Conference history, the same player was named Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year -- Ute freshman Kim Smith. She ranked in the top ten in the MWC in eight statistical categories and led Utah in scoring, rebounding, field goals made, field goal percentage, three-point field goals made, three-point field goal percentage and free throws made. She became the MWC freshman scoring leader on March 1 vs. Brigham Young, and ranks fourth all-time for points in a season and fifth in scoring average in MWC history.
* Joining Smith on the all-conference team were sophomore Shona Thorburn (second team) and junior Carley Marshall (honorable mention). Thorburn led the Utes in assists, defensive rebounds and free throw percentage, and ranked second in scoring, steals, field goals made, three-point field goals made and free throws made. Marshall led Utah in blocks, ranked second in rebounding and third in scoring, assists, offensive rebounds, field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
* In the Utes' win over DePaul in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Kim Smith became the Utah freshman scoring leader. She finished the season with 540 points, tied for seventh place all-time in the Ute single season records. Smith's 35 points vs. DePaul was also a new Utah postseason single game scoring record.
* Utah made its 12th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and seventh appearance in the last nine years. This year's second-round appearance was the third ever for the Utes. Utah now owns a 4-12 all-time record in the NCAAs.
* The 2002-03 Utes set new Utah single season records for three-point field goals made (218), three-point field goals attempted (622) and fewest disqualifications (four). The team also ranked second in free throw percentage (76.0) and fifth in steals (308).
* The Utes set Utah 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).
* Utah held all but six of its opponents under 60 points and only allowed eight opponents to reach 42 percent shooting (its season average).
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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