LAS VEGAS – With less than two seconds remaining in the third quarter, No. 22 Utah looked to get some points. After senior forward Alissa Pili grabbed a missed shot, she passed it forward to junior guard Ines Vieira.
Right before the clock struck zero, Vieira launched a shot from half-court. The heave went through the net, electrifying the 4,372 in attendance.
From that buzzer-beater, all momentum was in favor of Utah, which led 54-45 as the third quarter ended.
The Utes defeated the Sun Devils 71-60 on Wednesday night. The loss marked the fifth straight time the Maroon and Gold had exited the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament after the first round.
“You take one possession here or there, (and) it can change the course of a game,” Arizona State head coach Natasha Adair said. “But it speaks to our growth. It speaks to their fight, their competitiveness.”
Arizona State, who were the eleventh seed, utilized their defense against their sixth-seeded opponent in the opening 10 minutes, forcing seven takeaways and winning the points off turnover battle 6-0. They led 17-15 at the end of the first quarter.
Forty-eight seconds later, graduate guard Isadora Sousa was shaken up and needed help off the court. The Utes came out of the stoppage on an 8-2 run, forcing Adair to burn her team’s first timeout. Despite missing many chances underneath the basket, Utah led 34-30 at halftime.
The Sun Devils got within two points of their opponent in the second half, but the squad from Salt Lake City continued to hold its advantage. Additionally, the Utes increased their momentum as time dwindled. They played the final nine minutes up by double digits en route to an opening-round victory.
“I’m proud of our team,” Utah head coach Lynne Roberts said. “I do want to give credit to Arizona State. They came to compete, and they played really hard. They didn’t make it easy on us for sure.”
Utah’s physical play down low guided it to victory. Roberts’ side outrebounded Arizona State 39-26 and won the points in the paint battle 40-26.
Pili led the Utes in both categories. After being held to four points in the first half, she scored 16 points in the final 20 minutes and grabbed 11 rebounds, notching her sixth double-double of the season.
“I trusted the process,” said Pili, who was named to the All-Pac-12 Team. “I wasn’t gonna force anything. Just take great shots. I just let the game come to me. (I) trusted my teammates to find me when I was open.”
“We made a concerted effort to get her the dang ball in the second half,” Roberts added. “I said something like that at halftime.”
Three other Utes also scored double-digit points. Vieira scored 18, junior guard Kennady McQueen had 11, and sophomore guard Matyson Wilke netted 10.
Turnovers and fouls were also prevalent throughout the game. Roberts’ side had 17 giveaways compared to the Sun Devils’ 11. The Utes also drew 19 fouls, forcing Arizona State’s sophomore forward Journey Thompson to foul out in the game’s final minute. The Maroon and Gold drew 15 whistles against its opponent.
Adair’s two sophomore guards both landed in double digits. Trayanna Crisp, who only played four minutes in the first meeting against Utah on Jan. 5 before leaving with injury, appeared for nearly 37 minutes and led the Sun Devils with 19 points. Jalyn Brown followed with 15 points.
Brown’s outing on Wednesday night culminated a season performance where she received an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention after getting sparse playing time in Louisville last season.
“I put God first in everything that I do, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without him,” Brown said. “I think that he instilled confidence in me. He instilled power in me … Just to know that he had me the whole way, it’s honestly just a big blessing, and I feel like I’ve put the work in.”
Brown and Crisp will remain on the Arizona State squad, with many other key returners, including Thompson and freshman forward Mallory Miller. However, with the departures of three seniors—guards Jaddan Simmons and Treasure Hunt and guard/forward Maggie Besselink—they will have to continue stepping up next year in the Big 12.
As the Sun Devils wrap up the 2023-24 season and their time in the Pac-12, Adair continues to look at the positives within the team, especially with her core players gaining more experience.
“This is the hard part at the end of the season when you have to say goodbye to your seniors,” Adair said. “But what we’ve created, what we’re creating, is something special. This is a group that grew; this is a group that will continue to grow.”
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