Washington State rushed forward to defeat No. 3 Utah 66-58 in Thursday night’s quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament. (AP/David Becker)
Utah’s run in Las Vegas and hopes for a top spot in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament ended Thursday night.
Washington State defeated No. 3 Utah 66-58 in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament. The win was the first in program history over a top-three team. WSU will face either Colorado or Oregon State in Friday’s conference semifinals.
Utah will now likely miss a No. 1 in the NCAA tournament. The Utes, who hold a 25-4 record and earned a first-round bye in the Pac-12 tournament, were replaced as the last No. 1 by Maryland Seeds of ESPN’s Charlie Cream.
“They played fearlessly,” said Utah head coach Lynne Roberts. “They kicked the ball great in the second half and we kept pushing. We didn’t shoot with our normal ability, and that has to be given to their defense.
“It’s tough, they had a game under their belt and this was our first game. That’s not an excuse but I think that’s a reality when you say goodbye in the first round. I also think that the big takeaway is how damn good this conference is I mean this is a good team and they are the 7th seed it just speaks to how good this conference is and how anyone can win on any given night.
After a close battle in the first half, Washington State prevailed late in the third quarter. The Cougars used a 19-3 run that lasted about seven minutes and well into the fourth quarter to take control of the game.
Although Utah crawled back in in the final minutes, it was too late. Washington State guard Charlisse Leger-Walker sealed the win with eight seconds remaining with a deep 3-point victory that propelled her to the eight-point victory.
Leger-Walker finished with 15 points and five rebounds in the win. Center Bella Murekatete added 19 points and five rebounds.
It’s the first time since 2016 that a top-two seedling hasn’t reached the semifinals of the Pac-12 tournament.
Gianna Kneepkens led Utah with 18 points and three rebounds, and Alissa Pili added 11 points after shooting 3 of 14 from the field. They were the only two players to score in double digits for the Utes, who shot 37.7% from the field as a team.
According to Creme, Maryland is now the final No. 1 for the NCAA tournament. The Terrapins ended their regular season on a six-game winning streak and take on Illinois in Friday afternoon’s Big Ten tournament.
“I think we just have to do it,” Roberts said. “I think our goals for the season were to win a conference championship, which we did. And hosting the first few rounds of the NCAA tournament, which we can do. So our targets are still ahead of us… If you get knocked down, it’s more fuel on the fire. So it’s almost better I think. We’ll have more time to practice. We have things we can get better at and I have no doubt that we’ll spit nails by the first round, the ball will be thrown up for the first round game.”