No. 12 Kansas State Overwhelms No. 22 Utah, 71-47
Jan 8, 2025, 8:43 PM
Utah women's basketball. PHOTO courtesy by Utah Athletics
SALT LAKE CITY—In overwhelming fashion, No. 12 Kansas State proved too much for Utah tonight, as the Wildcats knocked off the Utes 71-47.
The Wildcats’ sheer size affected Utah on both ends of the floor throughout the game. The Utes missed 18 layups and struggled to create many open looks on the offensive end. By the fourth quarter, Utah appeared gassed and out of sorts on the defensive end.
Kansas State’s Serena Sundell led all scorers with 15 points, while Ayoka Lee finished with 14 but clearly had the biggest impact on the game.
Gianna Kneepkens 12 points led Utah, Reese Ross scored 11, while Ines Vieira and Maye Toure each added 8 apiece. Without question, Utah seemed to miss Kennady McQueen’s presence on the floor tonight.
First Half – Kansas State Vs Utah
The two teams could not have had more polar opposite starts to this game. Utah finished the opening quarter 3-of-15 from the field, while Kansas State converted 8-of-15, including 4-of-4 from 3-point range. The Wildcats held a 20-7 advantage after the opening frame.
To open the second quarter, the Utes continued to have their issue on the offensive end. It was quite evident how Kansas State’s size impacted Utah’s ability to get clean looks, evidenced by Utah’s 3-of-12 on layup attempts. Utah’s offensive struggles allowed Kansas State to build their lead to as big as 18 about mid-way through the second quarter.
However, over the final four minutes of the period, Utah went on a little run.
Fueled largely by their energy on the defensive end, Utah’s veteran leaders were able to get it going offensively. During their run, Giana Kneepkens scored 5, Maye Toure scored 4, and Ines Vieira and Jenna Johnson each added a layup.
Ultimately, Utah cut the Wildcats’ lead in half by the end of the period. They went into the locker room down 31-22 but with momentum on their side.
Second Half – Kansas State 31, Utah 22
Unfortunately, Kansas State quickly reclaimed the momentum to start the second half. Similar to the start of the game, Utah again went cold on the offensive end, and the Wildcats knocked down shots.
Kansas State’s Ayoka Lee demanded extra attention, creating open looks on the perimeter. Utah went 6-of-16 from the field, but Kansas State was too much offensively and pushed its lead to 22 by the end of the quarter.
The Wildcats continued to build their lead throughout the fourth quarter. Utah just seemed to run out of gas on the defensive end, while the offense was unable to keep them in it.
Up Next For Utah
Utah will turn their attention to Houston, who will travel to Salt Lake City for a 1:30 pm MST tip-off January 11.
