Lynne Roberts, Runnin’ Utes Open Season With 105-52 Win Over SUU
Nov 4, 2024, 12:58 PM | Updated: Nov 5, 2024, 2:42 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – Head coach Lynne Roberts and her Runnin’ Utes started the season on the right foot Monday afternoon. With an 11:00 a.m. MT tip-off against the SUU Thunderbirds, the Utes would cruise to a 105-52 victory.
Utah took control of this one in the second quarter with a flurry of 3-point makes that extended their lead to double-digits and the Utes kept their foot on the gas.
LIGHT THE U!#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/gU4HkIrYbS
— Utah Women’s Basketball (@UTAHWBB) November 4, 2024
With the win in the season-opener, here are some initial thoughts on the action.
Utah’s Starters Looked Fantastic
This is an experienced group, and they set the tone early on.
Four of the five finished in double-figures: Gianna Kneepkens led the way with 18 points, Jenna Johson finished with 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting, Maye Toure chipped in 14, and Kennady McQueen finished with 13 points.
Point guard Ines Veira impacted the game in her typical style, being a defensive menace and creating for others on offense.
These girls look like they’ve been playing together for a really long time. The chemistry was obvious and they were in complete control the entire game.
Impact Players Off The Bench?
It was no surprise that Utah’s starters dominated this one. That will be the case most nights. However, coach Roberts will need players to emerge off the bench.
Matyson Wilke proved solid last season and will be counted on heavily again this year. She finished with 8 points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field.
Forward Reese Ross played really well today. She finished the game as the second-leading scorer with 17 points while adding 7 boards.
If she can maintain this sort of impact and productivity level, she’s going to be a significant difference-maker for the Utes this season.
Maye Toure Is Super Intriguing
She stands 6-foot-3 and looks to have a plus wingspan. She scored in the post and also converted 1-of-2 from 3-point range.
It’s not fair to call her an Alyssa Pili replica because Pili was so good but Toure seems capable of impacting the game similarly.
Perhaps most important is her ability to draw fouls and get to the line, she went 5-of-8 from the charity stripe.
All in all, she seems to be a bit of an X-factor for the Utes this season.
Gianna Kneepkens’ Playmaking
Gianna Kneepkens’s return gives Utah another playmaker. Last season, that was most missed in her absence.
She can contribute in every way on the floor, but her playmaking is a unique dynamic for this squad.
She finished with just 4 assists and showed great feel for the action, while making some great passes.
Can Utah get contributions from the freshmen?
Utah has three of them on the squad this season. Both Brooke Walker and Kylie Ray are smaller point guard types, while Grace Foster is a bigger guard.
Foster didn’t play today, but Walker and Ray each got a decent run in this one. Ray finished with 6 points and 3 assists, while Walker finished with 3 points and 4 rebounds.
