In an anticlimactic final matchup with their cross-state rival, the Southern Utah University women’s basketball team took on Utah Tech University in St. George, Utah, on Saturday, Feb. 28. The Thunderbirds were looking for their 20th win of the year but fell 83-66 to the Trailblazers.
SUU snapped a four-game winning streak and took just their second loss since Jan. 17. They now sit at 19-9 on the season with a 11-5 conference record. They hold the No. 3 spot in the Western Athletic Conference but could still move up in the standings in the final two games of the season.
Utah Tech, who still sit at the bottom of the conference, now hold a 9-18 record with a 4-13 conference standing.
First quarter
Through the first two minutes, the only scoring was a three-pointer from each side. SUU then scored four straight points before UTU had a 5-0 run of their own.
Freshman Devyn Kiernan cashed in another three for the T-Birds, but Utah Tech ended the quarter on a 9-2 run to take a 17-12 lead. SUU missed four shots and committed three straight turnovers over the last four minutes.
Second quarter
After the Trailblazers opened with a quick triple, senior Ashley Banks scored two consecutive buckets to cut the deficit to four points. After some back-and-forth, Morgan Trigueiro had a five-point swing to slim the lead to two.
Utah Tech then went on a massive 15-2 run. SUU hit four free throws at the end of the half to make the score 44-32 but had given up a lot of momentum.
Third quarter
SUU came out swinging, scoring five straight points including four from Ava Uhrich to put themselves back in the game. Unfortunately for the T-Birds, a fourth foul put her on the bench just as she was catching fire.
The lead fluctuated over the next few minutes, going back and forth between single and double digits. The Trailblazers scored 10 consecutive points to end the period which seemed to put the nail in the coffin for SUU’s hopes. Utah Tech led 65-47 going into the fourth quarter.
Fourth quarter
After UTU pushed the lead to 20, SUU scored eight straight points including two triples from Brooklyn Fely. Right away, Utah Tech scored six straight of their own to take control again.
For the rest of the game, the advantage didn’t drop below 15 points. SUU came in with big expectations but couldn’t overcome the pressure of the rivalry game, losing 83-66.
Key stats
— Utah Tech scored 16 points off turnovers compared to SUU’s seven.
— UTU dominated down low, scoring 46 points in the paint as opposed to SUU’s 28.
— After the score was 10-8, SUU never led for the rest of the game.
— Every active Thunderbird saw the floor in this game.
Top T-Birds
— Sierra Chambers led the team with 16 points and 37 minutes played. She also had three assists, a rebound and a steal.
— Despite shooting troubles, Fely had a strong double-double. She recorded 11 points while leading the team with 11 rebounds and four assists.
— Banks had an efficient performance off the bench. She notched 11 points, two rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 15 minutes.
— Uhrich had eight points, eight rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes.
What’s next?
SUU will take a break before heading to face Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Thursday, March 5. Right afterwards, they’ll head to Riverside, Calif., for the final game of the regular season against California Baptist University on Saturday, March 7.
The first game will be at 6 p.m. and the second will be at 2 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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Author: Payson Davis
Photographer: SUU Athletics
