Texas proves too much for Utah, ending Utes’ NCAA tournament

The University of Utah basketball team heard all the questions about the Texas Longhorns.

Could the Utes handle their defensive pressure? Could they match their toughness?

But on Sunday, Utah simply didn’t have an answer.

The No. 7-seeded Utes were bounced from the NCAA women’s tournament with a 78-56 loss to the No. 2 Longhorns in Austin, Texas.

The Utes were in the tournament for the first time since 2011. And they had reached the second round by blistering the nets for a school-record 15 3-pointers in Friday’s win over Arkansas. But against Texas, the young Utes never found their rhythm.

The Utes shot 6-for-20 from beyond the arc Sunday, turned the ball over 19 times and were out-rebounded 32-20.

Utah’s Kennedy McQueen scored a team-high 18 points. Forward Jenna Johnson added 14 points. But no other Ute reached double-digits. Gianna Kneepkens, the Utes’ star freshman and leading scorer on the season, finished the game with four points.

Texas simply proved too much for Lynne Roberts’ young squad.

Utah struggled with the size and strength of freshman Aaliyah Moore, who scored a game-high 21 points (on 9-of-10 shooting) to go with seven rebounds. The Utes struggled with the tenacity of guard Aliyah Matharu, who had three of the Longhorns’ nine steals.

Utah trailed 19-17 after the first quarter. But a Matharu bucket early in the second made it 29-19, the first double-digit lead of the game. A pair of Moore free throws made it a 20-point game, 52-32, early in the third quarter.

Texas shot 71.43% in the first half.

The Utes finished their season with a 21-12 record.

from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/4OqiPRm