The No. 11 Utes rolled through another in-state foe, beating the Weber State Wildcats 89-36 on Thursday afternoon.
Utah improved to 10-2 with the win, the team’s final tune-up before a difficult conference schedule begins next week.
Utah forward Alissa Pili led all scorers with 19 points. Kennady McQueen finished with 17 points, six rebounds and two assists. Jenna Johnson had a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double.
They’re “playing at a really high level, which is what we need” with star guard Gianna Kneepkens out for the year with a foot injury, Utah head coach Lynne Roberts said.
She continued: “Look at Kennady and Jenna’s efficiency. It’s a luxury as a coach to have players that are, night in and night out, constantly reliable. I thought they played their tails off and led the way for us today.”
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes forward Reese Ross (20) looses the ball as she collides with Weber State Wildcats forward Jadyn Matthews (5), as Wildcats forward Amelia Raidaveta (13) looks on, in basketball action between the Weber State Wildcats and the Utah Utes, at the Huntsman Center, on Thursday, December 21, 2023.
The Utes jumped out to a 22-5 lead after one quarter and never really looked back, though Roberts still pointed to some defensive miscues in the second half.
“I think it’s hard … knowing Christmas is coming and having a big lead,” she said. “Sometimes intensity can dip, which I don’t love, but sometimes that’s the way it is.”
The Wildcats were led by eight points and three assists from guard Kendra Parra. Laura Taylor added seven points, three rebounds and an assist for Weber (3-9).
The Utes will begin Pac-12 play next weekend when they travel to No. 8 Colorado.
The Conference currently has five teams ranked among the top 11 teams in the country: No. 2 UCLA, No. 6 USC, No. 8 Colorado, No. 9 Stanford and No. 11 Utah.
