LSU’s Angel Reese, at proper, hugs teammate Alexis Morris, left, after defeating Utah in a Candy 16 school basketball sport of the NCAA Event in Greenville, S.C., Friday, March 24, 2023. Mic Smith, AP
College of Utah girls’s basketball coach Lynne Roberts stated she would have accepted the situation with 4.7 seconds remaining in a heartbeat.
The No. 2-seeded Utes have been down one and sophomore Jenna Johnson — a 75% free-throw shooter — was on the free-throw line in an NCAA Event Candy 16 sport in opposition to No. 3 seed, however favored, LSU in Greenville, South Carolina.
“I feel it will take somewhat little bit of time (to course of the loss). We wished this one badly. We wished to win this (Greenville 2) regional, one (sport) at a time.” — Utah girls’s basketball coach Lynne Roberts.
“If you happen to stated Jenna Johnson on the road to win this sport, would you are taking it?” Roberts stated. “Heck yeah, and I might take it tomorrow.”
However on this Friday afternoon with an opportunity to go to the Elite 8 for the primary time since 2006, it wasn’t meant to be for the Utes, and they're going to end their dream season with a 27-5 file.
Johnson missed each free throws — the primary one not coming remotely near entering into — and LSU held on to take a 66-63 win in a wild, bodily and emotional thriller certain so as to add extra craziness to March Insanity.
“I feel it will take somewhat little bit of time (to course of the loss),” Roberts stated. “We wished this one badly. We wished to win this (Greenville 2) regional, one (sport) at a time.”
As a substitute, LSU (31-2) marches into Sunday’s regional remaining in opposition to No. 9 seed Miami and Utah returns to Salt Lake Metropolis questioning what might need been.
What if Johnson had made at the least one of many two free throws?
What if Pac-12 Participant of the Yr and Nationwide Participant of the Yr candidate Alissa Pili had performed a mean sport, as a substitute of one in all her worst this season?
What in the event that they hadn’t given up an offensive rebound to LSU’s Alexis Morris with a 63-62 lead with 13 seconds left?
After Angel Reese missed a layup, Morris gathered the ball and was fouled by Pili — her disqualifying fifth — and ultimately sank each free throws to offer the Tigers a 64-63 lead.
After a timeout, Gianna Kneepkens drove and had her shot blocked, however Johnson grabbed it and was fouled whereas capturing.
“It's laborious,” stated Roberts, who was captured by ESPN cameras hugging and consoling Johnson within the remaining moments. “These are strain moments and it's a rising expertise for her. She’s only a sophomore. However I don’t suppose that may occur once more, if she will get that chance once more, realizing her and the competitor she is.”
After Morris made two extra free throws, Utah had an opportunity to tie with two seconds left, however Dasia Younger’s desperation 3-pointer hit the highest of the backboards and that was that.
That the Utes would have an opportunity to win appeared unlikely with 3:45 left when Morris hit a 3-pointer to offer LSU a 60-52 benefit.
However Gianna Gneepkens, who led the Utes with 20 factors, scored 9 straight factors to convey Utah again. And when Issy Palmer (15 factors) made two free throws with 1:09 left, Utah led 63-61.
“They made the final play,” Roberts stated. “We had a defensive cease and simply didn’t safe the board. Morris got here up with it, after which we acquired that foul and have been enjoying catch-up from there.”
The Utes stayed in it by making 8 of twenty-two 3-point makes an attempt (36%) and holding the Tigers to a few 3-pointers. However 16 turnovers doomed the Utes, together with giving up 12 offensive rebounds that LSU changed into 13 second-chance factors.
“I don’t actually suppose it comes right down to these performs on the finish. I feel it's simply the buildup all through the entire sport. There are a variety of issues we may have carried out higher within the first, second and third quarters,” stated Pili, who was held to 14 factors and 5 rebounds. “Yeah, I simply suppose all through the entire sport is when it issues.”
Angel Reese, LSU’s finest participant, was held to 17 factors. However she grabbed 12 rebounds earlier than additionally fouling out.
Utah’s greatest nemesis on this night time was LaDazhia Williams, who had a career-high 24 factors on 11 of 14 capturing. Morris added 15.
“It was actually bodily. I feel you kinda have to choose your poison. I assumed we let (Williams) get into somewhat little bit of a rhythm there within the third (quarter),” Roberts stated. “We weren’t going to go one-on-one with Angel down within the block. So we have been kinda digging in and shrinking it somewhat bit. And I assumed she acquired into somewhat little bit of a rhythm there.”
The Utes led at halftime and the tip of the third quarter thanks to 5 straight factors by Palmer, however their undoing was the beginning of the fourth, when LSU went on a 14-5 run to seize the eight-point lead.
“What a terrific sport. I assumed each groups left all of it on the market on the ground. That’s why it stings so unhealthy if you put all of it on the market and any person’s acquired to win,” Roberts stated.
That wasn’t the Utes, who've been so good in shut video games all through the season.
But when it occurs the identical method once more, Roberts likes her possibilities.