Utah State women’s basketball coach Wesley Brooks has big dreams of building a winning program in Logan.
On Wednesday night, the Utah Utes were happy to give the Aggies a model to follow.
The Utes swarmed on defense, moved the ball crisply on offense, and seemed to hardly miss a shot during an 87-34 thrashing of the Aggies at Delta Center.
“I told them we have to set the tone early, especially at home and in Salt Lake City,” Utah coach Gavin Petersen said. “We play a tempo and style of play that we practice so we can sustain and drives us to big runs during games. We wanted to establish early that the press wasn’t going to slow us down and it really opened up the game for us today.”
Five different Utes scored in double figures, led by Kennady McQueen’s 17, who also had six rebounds and six assists. The moment was made all the more special by the venue.
“For me growing up in Utah and coming to Jazz games, this was a surreal moment for me,” McQueen said. “To be able to play on the same court as some of the best basketball players in the world is an incredible opportunity. What a moment for women’s sports.”
Maye Toure (14), Reese Ross (14), Gianna Kneepkens (13) and Matyson Wilke (13) also had double-digit scoring lines.
Guard Taliyah Logwood led the Aggies with nine points.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah State Aggies head coach Wesley Brooks shouts instructions to his players, in NCAA basketball action between the Utah Utes and the Utah State Aggies, at the Delta Center, Wednesday, Dec 4, 2024.
The Utes shot 55.4% from the field (34 of 61) and 46.7% from deep (14 of 30). Utah’s defense, meanwhile, tallied 10 steals and eight blocks.
When USU jumped out to a 4-0 lead to start the game, the Utes answered with a 19-0 run.
Utah went 5 of 9 from deep in the first quarter thanks in large part to McQueen’s trio of triples. At the end of the period, an Ines Vieira layup made it 28-9.
Another run, this one 11-1, helped push the Utes to a 50-20 lead at halftime.
Utah never let up in the second. And a Wilke triple with 4:42 to play pushed Utah’s lead over 50.
Petersen and his players said playing the game in an NBA arena was special for the team.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes guard Gianna Kneepkens (5) leads a fast break, in NCAA basketball action between the Utah Utes and the Utah State Aggies, at the Delta Center, Wednesday, Dec 4, 2024.
“I think the growth of women’s basketball is still on the rise,” the Ute coach said. “Our fans showed up tonight. Our game was originally scheduled for tomorrow [Dec. 5] and we moved it and they still showed up and supported us. I think it was a treat for them too. I think the excitement and joy that we play with allows the fans to feed off of it. I love that our team was given the stage to set an example for younger girls and show them that these kinds of things are possible.”
Said the sophomore forward Ross, “I come from South Dakota so there’s not many opportunities to play in those big arenas. It’s cool to be a part of women’s sports in this generation and being able to have experiences like this.”
With the win, Utah improved to 7-2 on the year. Utah State is now 1-8 to start the season.
The Utes will next host Princeton on Sunday afternoon.
