Potter Hits 1,000 in 78-65 Win Over Northern Arizona

Wednesday, December 21

Salt Lake City, UT

2:00 PM

University of Utah

11-0

Northern Arizona

4-7

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Northern Arizona	10	20	21	14	65
Utah	18	16	21	23	78

Potter Hits 1,000 in 78-65 Win Over Northern Arizona

12/21/2016 4:15 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

SALT LAKE CITY – Junior forward Emily Potter knocked down her 1,000th career point in the first quarter as the Utes defeated the Lumberjacks 78-65 Wednesday afternoon at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

Utah is perfect at 11-0 and receiving votes in the coaches' poll heading into Pac-12 conference play as Northern Arizona drops to 4-7 to open the season.

"If we want to be great, we need to be consistent and we can't have lapses," head coach Lynne Roberts said. "For us to be great in the Pac-12, our bench needs to be more dependable, and I thought they did better in the second half. We're playing well and we're going to continue to improve.

"We came out strong, slowed down some and had to pick it up. You have to get yourself excited to play and I think we struggled a little bit with that because it's the day before our break, but the team figured it out and pulled themselves out of that second quarter."

Four Utes finished in double figures as all 11 players saw action contributing on both ends of the floor.

Junior forward Emily Potter knocked down her 1,000th career point on a free-throw in the first quarter to become one of just 26 Utes to reach the milestone. The 6-6, Winnipeg, Manitoba, native finished with her sixth double-double of the season scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

"That's a feat for anyone to do in four years, but to do it 11 games into your junior season means you're a pretty good player," Roberts said. "She's (Emily Potter) is really good. She's game-changing and I don't think people realize how athletic she is. She has improved from last year and she's stronger and more under control."

Senior wing Paige Crozon went 2-for-3 from the 3-point arc in the first quarter tallying a total of 15 points for her sixth consecutive double figure game.

Junior wing Tanaeya Boclair scored 11 points with three assists and two steals while fellow junior wing Malia Nawahine poured in 10 points with four rebounds and two assists.

Sophomore guard Erika Bean found the basket in the third quarter connecting on 2-of-3 from the floor and 3-of-3 from the foul line for seven points while dishing out a team-high seven assists.

Bean found Crozon in the corner for a 3-pointer to open the game in the first 10 seconds of action. The Utes continued their push with an 11-0 run including another 3-pointer from Crozon. At the first media timeout, Utah was shooting 50 percent from field goal range and 50 percent from the arc while holding NAU to 12.5 percent from the floor and scoreless from 3-point range.

Utah entered the second quarter with an eight-point lead over the Lumberjacks, but NAU's Kenna McDavis found a rhythm connecting on three 3-pointers. The Lumberjacks climbed within one point, but junior wing Wendy Anae scored her second three of the season before the buzzard for a 34-30 lead at the half.

Bean found her first points of the game off of a defensive rebound then a layup. Bean continued her momentum in the third quarter driving to the hoop for an and-one and a nine-point lead over NAU. Both teams put up 21 points in the third as the Utes edged the Lumberjacks 55-51 to go into the fourth quarter.

Utah locked down on the defensive end in the fourth quarter holding NAU to 4-of-18 from field goal range and 1-of-5 from beyond the arc for 22 percent shooting. The Utes outscored the Lumberjacks 23-14 in the fourth quarter to secure an unblemished nonconference record.

The Utes open Pac-12 action Friday, Dec. 30 against UCLA in Los Angeles, Calif. before taking on USC Sunday, Jan. 1.You can watch the stream and follow live stats at utahutes.com, while Tyson Ewing will have the play-by-play call on ESPN 700 at ESPN 700.