Gavin Petersen was at a loss for words.
In arguably the most anticipated game of his team’s season, the No. 22 Utes came out flat against No. 13 Kansas State on Wednesday night.
They had one of their worst shooting performances of the season, shooting 18 of 60 from the field and 3 of 19 from beyond the arc.
The Wildcats took advantage of the Utes' offensive struggles, defeating them 71-47 in the Huntsman Center. The performance left Petersen, Utah’s first-year head coach, searching for answers postgame.
“I just didn’t see the fire and the hunger in our player’s eyes,” Petersen said. “I’m not sure why. Maybe it was just coming off a big win or losing Kennady (McQueen). But it just, even at shootaround, there was something off.”
Kansas State’s Serena Sundell led all scorers with 15 points, while star K-State forward Ayoka Lee finished with 14 points and two blocks.
Petersen attributed Utah’s scoring struggles to missed layups in the paint. He also said the Utes' starters were pressing on offense when they couldn’t find a rhythm from 3-point range in the first quarter.
From that point, he says, a negative domino effect took place.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah women’s basketball coach Gavin Petersen directs his players as Utah hosts Kansas State, NCAA basketball in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025.
“When you start missing shots, you start pressing a little bit,” Petersen said. “You get a little more tense. And what else does that lead to? You start missing layups. You start missing assignments and what we’re trying to accomplish offensively.
“There were moments out there where I didn’t know what we were running.”
Next, Utah will look to recover from its first conference loss with a game against Houston on Saturday.
Petersen and the Utes will use this loss as a learning lesson, but the coach was adamant about staying focused on the day-to-day process.
“I’m going to be as intense as all get out because I want them to improve,” Petersen said of using this loss as a potential wake-up call. “Every day we take the court it’s about improving. I always tell them that I’m not trying to peak in January. I don’t want it to be February.
“I want us to be hitting on all cylinders by the Big 12 tournament.”
