FILE - Utah Utes ahead Alissa Pili (35) drives the ball throughout an NCAA ladies’s basketball sport on the Huntsman Heart in Sandy on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. Pili scored a season-high 30 factors in a win at Oregon. Ryan Solar, Deseret Information
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Alissa Pili scored a season-high 30 factors and No. 7 Utah moved right into a tie for first place within the Pac-12 Convention with a 100-92 win over Oregon on Sunday.
Jenna Johnson added 19 factors and Kennady McQueen scored 16 because the Utes (20-2) shot 62.3% from the sector. Utah improved to 10-2 within the convention to tie for the highest spot with Stanford, which misplaced 72-67 at Washington earlier within the day.
“We’re enthusiastic about being within the hunt,” Utah coach Lynne Roberts stated. “February is about maintaining your eyes within the second, so now we play Washington subsequent, that’s all we going to speak about and simply keep current.”
“We haven’t talked about rankings, its cool to get our program on the nationwide map, however our objectives will not be what we're going to be ranked. Our aim is to have likelihood be in competition for a championship and host the primary two rounds of the NCAA Match. These have been the 2 objectives all season and we're chopping wooden to offer ourselves an opportunity. There's lots of basketball left to be performed in opposition to good groups,” she stated.
Endyia Rogers scored 35 factors to guide Oregon (14-9, 5-7). Likelihood Grey added 18 factors and fellow freshman Grace VanSlooten had 16 for the Geese, who shot 50% from the sector and made 9 3-pointers two days after going 0-for-16 past the arc in a loss to Colorado.
“I favored our combat tonight,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves stated. “Offensively, we lastly bought some issues rolling a bit of bit. It’s type of been how we’ve achieved it this 12 months; the times we defend fairly properly we are able to’t get it collectively offensively and now right this moment offensively we did some good issues and we simply couldn’t cease Utah.”
Utah took a 47-41 halftime lead earlier than Oregon went forward 58-56 early within the second half on a 3-pointer by Rogers. The Utes adopted with six straight factors and later stretched the margin to 71-66 on a basket from Gianna Kneepkens.
After Oregon drew nearer, Pili scored 5 straight factors to place Utes forward 82-76. Rogers’ six factors in a row later bought Oregon inside 84-82, however McQueen adopted with a 3-pointer and Pili scored inside to push the Utes forward 89-82.
“Our staff was locked in,” Roberts stated. “Since I’ve been at Utah, we by no means swept the Oregon journey so we needed to do one thing that has by no means been achieved. That was within the entrance of our minds.
Pili scored the primary seven factors of the sport. The Geese led 39-36 after a basket by Grey, however Utah adopted with 11 straight factors, together with 3-pointers from Gianna Kneepkens, Pili and Johnson to go up 47-39 simply earlier than halftime.
BIG PICTURE
Utah: The Utes have their highest AP rating in class historical past at No. 7, however may transfer up after sweeping the Oregon faculties on the highway. The Utes can be within the nationwide rankings for the thirteenth straight week, stretching their faculty report. … Utah heads residence subsequent weekend to face Washington and Washington State, two groups within the backside half of the standings.
Oregon: The Geese are under .500 in convention play this late within the season for the primary time since 2016-17. … Oregon, which was ranked as excessive as No. 16 within the High 25 earlier this season, can be unranked for the third week in a row and on the NCAA Match bubble as they put together for 4 straight video games on the highway.
UP NEXT
Utah: The Utes return residence to face Washington on Friday evening.
Oregon: The Geese play at Southern California on Friday.