Utah Completes Sweep Against California

Friday, February 10

Berkeley, CA

7:00 PM

University of Utah

15-9

California

17-8

Utah

California

2/10/2017 8:54 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

BERKELEY, Calif. – Utah women's basketball uses second quarter push to defeat Pac-12 foe California 73-64 Friday night a Haas Pavilion.

"I think we showed some toughness," head coach Lynne Roberts said. "We were down after the first quarter, but I thought our team handled that really well. We made some runs and I thought we attacked the bucket with some more intensity and purpose than we had recently.

"One thing I thought we did tonight was answer-when the other team does something answer back. They made some runs, but we kept answering. When we needed a bucket we got one and I'm really proud of our team."

The Utes (15-9, 4-9) were led in scoring by junior wing Malia Nawahine with 16 points including two 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Erika Bean finished with 12 points on 4-7 from field goal range, six rebounds, seven assists and a block.

"Erika (Bean) showed a lot of confidence tonight and that's what I've been waiting for," Roberts said. "She played through some fatigue too, she got tired, but she was able to play through it. I'm proud of her and she did a good job."

Junior wing Tanaeya Boclair tallied 14 points on 5-8 shooting from the floor while dishing out three assists. Junior forward Emily Potter was the fourth Ute in double figures as she grabbed her eighth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. She added three steals and four blocks. Sophomore wing Daneesha Provo made a splash in the second quarter with five points in six minutes of action.

Heading into Friday night's matchup, the Golden Bears (17-8, 5-8) led the Pac-12 Conference shooting 47.8 percent, but Utah's persistent defense held California to 37 percent from the floor while grabbed 10 steals. The Utah women shot 48 percent from the floor and 80 percent from the foul line on 15-19.

California won the tip and grabbed a layup as the Utes went 0-6 from the floor before Nawahine drilled a 3-pointer to put Utah on the board for the lead, 3-2. Senior wing Paige Crozon picked up back-to-back steals as Utah pulled out to a 5-2 lead on a basket from Potter before the first media timeout.

Both teams came out of the timeout with a surge of energy as shots were flying on either end of the court, but California took the lead on an inbound play, 11-9. Utah picked up three consecutive fouls as the Bears pulled out to a 16-11 lead on six made free-throws. Potter made her way to the foul line as the Utes ended the first quarter down 18-13.

Freshman wing Megan Jacobs took a charge for the Utes and Nawahine connected on her fourth field goal of the night to open the second quarter. Provo scored 3-of-4 free-throw attempts to claw the Utes with two, 22-20, midway through the second quarter. Provo's outing was overdue as she scored a break-a-way layup for Utah to reclaim the 24-22lead over the Bears.

California grabbed the lead on a miss-match under the basket for a one-point lead, but Crozon and Nawahine hit back-to-back 3-pointers for a 32-27 lead. California made it a three-point game, but Boclair knocked down another 3-pointer for the Utes and a layup as the Utes extended their lead, 37-29 at the half.

Bean took advantage of an and-one opportunity to give the Utes an 11-point lead, 40-29, to open the second half. California picked up four quick foul shots and a layup to make it a 42-38 game. Boclair found herself at the foul line as the Utes took advantage of their third and-one play to go up 45-38.

The Bears went on an 8-0 run to trail 47-45, but junior wing Tilar Clark came off the bench to hit a 3-pointer to spur a 7-2 run for Utah. Bean scored nine points in the third quarter to push the Utes out to a 54-47 lead at the end of the period.

Bean pulled up from the corner for a 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter for a 10-point lead, 57-47, over the Bears. California scored its second 3-pointer of the game – the first in the first quarter – to make it a single digit ball game, but Potter made her way into double figures with a layup for Utah.

California made a late run, but it was too late as the Utes completed the sweep for a 73-64 road victory.

Utah continues its road trip facing No. 9 Stanford Sunday at 2 p.m. MT on the Pac-12 Network or on ESPN700 with Tyson Ewing.