SEATTLE, Wash. – The University of Utah women's basketball program recorded a 74-65 win on the road against Washington Friday night, improving to 11-3 overall and 2-1 in Pac-12 Conference play.
Despite struggling late in the game, a veteran and composed Utah squad was able to hit key shots down the stretch and keep the Huskies from attempting a full rally. The Utes were led by junior
Daneesha Provo who knocked down 20 points (8-for-11).
"I think we did a good job in the first half, we just weren't very good in the fourth," head coach
Lynne Roberts said. "You have to give a lot of credit to Washington because they just don't quit. They got to the free throw line in a lot in that second half and they were really aggressive. But I am proud of our team. We are 2-1 and we got a win on the road. It is all good and we will move on from here."
Erika Bean added 10 points and seven assists with
Tori Williams adding nine points, two assists and a steal.
Kiana Moore chipped in seven points with
Tilar Clark adding a strong defensive presence with three rebounds, three steals and three blocks.
Washington led early in the first quarter, but once Utah got into an offensive rhythm they became tough to stop. Utah finished the quarter on a 17-2 run after Washington started the first quarter going 6-for-7 from the floor.
It was a spark of the bench by Williams that got the Utes going after hitting back-to-back three-pointers that kick started the Utah offense. The Utes headed into the second quarter with a 31-16 lead after shooting 73-percent from the field in the first.
The Utes kept its double-digit lead in the second quarter after starting with a 9-0 run that included five points from Moore. Utah shot 53-percent from the field in the second quarter, holding Washington to just 21-percent from the field and forcing them to go 0-for-3 from the arc, sending Utah into halftime up 46-26.
Washington started to chip away at Utah's large third quarter lead, but Provo scored eight of her 20 points in the quarter, shooting 4-for-4 from the field. The Huskies made it a 16-point game with 1:30 on the clock, but Provo and Bean were able to hit layups down the line, giving Utah a 20-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
It was Washington's game in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Utes 23-12 with Utah only shooting 30-percent from the floor. Washington was able to whittle away at Utah's lead and make it 10-point lead with 1:24 on the clock, but the Huskies were forced to foul late with Williams hitting a free throw at the 18 second mark to give Utah its 74-65 victory.
Utah will return to action when they head to Pullman, Wash. on Sunday, Jan. 7 for a battle against Washington State. The game is set for a 12 p.m. MT tip.