Ahead of Utah’s first conference game in the Big 12, head coach Gavin Petersen issued a challenge to his team.
Unlike most conference games, the Utes played their first against Arizona State before a 10-day holiday break on Saturday evening.
He wanted to see, truly, how bad Utah wanted to come out with a win.
“It’s a challenge to stay focused,” Petersen said, “to play together, to play hard and leave it all out there before they go on their way for Christmas break.”
The Utes (10-2, 1-0 Big 12) secured their first Big 12 victory with a dominant 102-82 win over a former Pac-12 foe in the Sun Devils. Not only did they answer Petersen’s challenge, but the Utes dominated in all facets of the game.
Utah outrebounded Arizona State 43 to 28. It also won the passing battle, notching 25 assists compared to ASU’s 15.
Junior guard Gianna Kneepkens led all Utah scorers with 24 points on an efficient 7 of 12 shooting clip. She also added six rebounds and six assists to her stat line.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah coach Gavin Petersen as Utah hosts Arizona State, NCAA basketball in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024.
She’s excited to be able to enjoy a win without a loss lingering on her mind throughout the holiday break
“I think it’s always great to go out with a win before break,” Kneepkens said. “You can kind of sit and enjoy Christmas a little more because you’re off that win. I think it’s a good test of physicality.
“But, yeah, it’s always good to get a win under your belt.”
Utah had a strong performance from its bench in the win.
The Utes backups garnered 38 points compared to ASU’s 20. Sophomore forward Reese Ross finished with a season-high 19 points, five rebounds and one block on the night.
It’s the fifth time this season she’s scored double-digits off the bench, bringing her season average to 10.2 points per game.
“I have the utmost confidence in our bench,” Petersen said. “I’m really lucky to have a bench that can come in, and we don’t have a drop-off.”
Utah’s next contest will be a bout on the road against Arizona at noon MT on Dec. 31 in Tuscon.
And, with a break ahead, the Utes expect to be cruising into their second game with a boost of confidence and much-needed rest.
“We’ll be ready for Arizona when (that game) comes,” Kneepkens said.
