All Utes

Utah Women's Basketball Takes Down No. 15 Oregon State

Looking for a statement victory that could justify the potential in this young Utes squad, Utah went into Gill Coliseum and took down No. 15 Oregon State 85-79 behind 34 points from Brynna Maxwell

Ryan Kostecka

Despite their youth, there's been a decent amount of talk about the potential the Utah women's basketball program possesses. 

Armed with one of the youngest rosters in the conference, if not the nation, the Utes were looking to finish better than their predicted eighth place finish according to the conference preseason poll. But if that were to hold true, Utah would need to notch an upset our two against some of the top teams in the country.

After opening the season with a disastrous 85-43 loss to No. 8 Oregon on Sunday, Utah entered Tuesday's contest against No. 15 Oregon State as massive underdogs. That didn't matter as Brynna Maxwell scored a career-high 34 points in leading Utah to an 85-79 victory over the Beavers.

“That was fun and the players are so excited,” Utah head coach Lynne Roberts said postgame. “I am more proud than excited though. To bounce back after Sunday, coming off a two-week quarantine while opening the season with one of the hardest road trips in the Pac-12, I am just so proud of this team. The ability to flip the switch like that and bounce back, and trust what we are saying as coaches. ... That is as good as it gets.”

Maxwell was sensational for the Utes, scoring her 3 4points with a variety of moves and shots. She finished 10-for-15 from the floor, 4-for-7 from three-point territory and an even more impressive 10-for-10 from the free throw line. She was a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe in the final minute, as her clutch free throw shooting is part of what makes her so great according to Roberts.

“I wanted her shooting those free throws, that was by design,” Roberts said. “Her stepping to the free throw line, I’m never thinking anything other than when those go in. I have zero doubts and know she is going to make those free throws in those situations.”

The Utes also got great contributions from the bench as senior Kemery Martin and freshman Kennedy McQueen played big roles. Martin finished with 15 points while McQueen added nine points (3-for-4 from deep), three assists and two rebounds in just 14 minutes.

Sophomore Dru Gylten was also effective alongside her classmate Maxwell, finishing with 12 points, four assists and four steals. But she fouled out late in the game, where McQueen entered and thrived in her place.

The game didn't start well for the Utes as Oregon State jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead. But Utah never quit, fighting back to trail by just four at the end of the first quarter. The Utes then locked down defensively in the second quarter, holding the Beavers to just nine points while taking a 35-33 lead at the break.

After Utah extended their lead to 59-53 through three quarters, Oregon State came out firing in the fourth. 

Taylor Jones' free throw gave the Beavers a 69-68 lead, but that was the last time the Utes trailed. Gylten drilled a corner three-pointer and then added a jumper to give Utah a 73-69 lead before fouling out. Maxwell and Lola Pendande combined to score the Utes' final 12 points for the win.

Aleah Goodman led the Oregon State with 20 points, finishing 7-of-10 from the floor and 5-for-7 from beyond the arc. 

Utah returns to action on Friday night when they host Montana State in their only nonconference game of the season. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. MT from the Jon M. Huntsman Center and will streamed on UtahUtes.com

Want to share opinions or ask questions? We want to hear them! Making a profile is free and it only takes ~1 minute to set up. Also, be sure to like us on social media for future coverage:

Twitter — @UtahUtes_SI and Ryan Kostecka at @Ryan_Kostecka

Published
Ryan Kostecka
RYAN KOSTECKA

Home/Basketball