The seconds ticked off the clock.
Maytson Wilke dribbled past a BYU defender to Utah’s half-court logo. Tick. Tick. Tick.
The junior guard had only one option with 1.3 seconds left:
Let it fly.
For a moment, Wilke gazed at the rim with her shooting arm outstretched. Utes fans held their hands over heads. The buzzer sounded in the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
Screams immediately reverberated around the arena. It was good, and the Utes defeated BYU 76-73 in overtime.
“I don’t think you necessarily see a half-court shot going up and say, ‘Oh yeah, that’s in,‘” senior guard Jenna Johnson said. “But, I mean, it looked good, so it was awesome to see it bank in. [It was] just a super exciting moment. I don’t think I would ever scream that loud. It was awesome.”
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes guard Matyson Wilke (23) celebrates her game-winning shot as Utah hosts BYU, NCAA basketball in Salt Lake City on Saturday, March 1, 2025.
Wilke’s game-winner certainly left head coach Gavin Petersen feeling lucky.
“I was preparing for another overtime,” Petersen said. “As soon as it left her hand, I’m like, ‘Oh, that has a chance.’ And then it went in. It sucks to lose that way. So I just kind of shook my head at the opposing coach. ... Sometimes that’s the way it goes.”
But it was more than luck that helped lift the Utes over their rivals.
Wilke and the Utes actually practice half-court shots at the end of the game day shootarounds. The drill is called “Utes win.”
“The winning team, you have to hit a half-court shot,” senior Kennady McQueen said of the drill. “So lowkey, we practice it on game days. But no, it looked great. ... As soon as it left her hands, I said, ‘That’s online.‘”
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes forward Jenna Johnson (22) and BYU Cougars forward Emma Calvert (25) as Utah hosts BYU, NCAA basketball in Salt Lake City on Saturday, March 1, 2025.
Wilke’s shot was extra special for McQueen. Not only did the Utes beat their in-state rival. But it was also Utah’s senior day.
“What a perfect ending at the Huntsman Center in five years,” McQueen said. “I mean, I couldn’t have predicted it any other way. Of course, it had to end like that. But it was just a blast. I feel like the first emotion I’m feeling is just so much gratitude for the community, the staff, the opportunity to play here, my teammates; it’s just been a fantastic journey.”
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah players dogpile on Utah Utes guard Matyson Wilke (23) after her game-winning shot as Utah hosts BYU, NCAA basketball in Salt Lake City on Saturday, March 1, 2025.
Utah will shift its focus to the postseason following its win over the Cougars. It has earned the sixth-seed in the Big 12 Championship, which starts on March 5 in Kansas City.
Then it’s on to March Madness.
“There couldn’t have been a better way to end these last four years at the Huntsman Center,” Johnson said.
