Utah entered the Pac-12 women’s basketball tournament with the program’s highest-ever seed, but that didn’t do the Utes much good Thursday night.
No. 11-seeded Washington built an 18-point lead in the third quarter on the way to a 64-54 upset of the No. 6 Utes in a first-round game at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The Utes (20-10), down to seven active players because of injuries and other factors, will have to decide whether they want to continue their season in the WNIT for a fourth straight year under coach Lynne Roberts. Regardless, they will have to live with the program's fifth consecutive defeat in the first round of the conference tournament.
Washington (10-20) advances to a quarterfinal game vs. No. 3 seed Oregon State.
Utah led 18-17 after the first quarter, but Washington took a 34-26 halftime lead and started the third quarter impressively, as the Utes struggled to score. The Huskies took a 52-36 advantage into the final period.
Utah senior forward Megan Huff, a repeat selection to the All-Pac-12 team, finished with 10 points on 3-of-15 shooting, although she grabbed 17 rebounds. Andrea Torres also scored 10 points for the Utes and Kiana Moore and Erika Bean added nine each.
Dru Gylten, who made the conference’s all-freshman team this week, scored eight points, but committed seven turnovers and had only one assist.
The Utes were 18-1 overall and 7-1 in the Pac-12 when January ended, but a more difficult schedule and their personnel shortage has caught up to them, resulting in nine losses in their last 11 games.
Missy Peterson led Washington with 23 points. The Huskies had gone 2-15 in league play and likely would have tied for last place in the Pac-12, but a game vs. Arizona State was canceled because of weather conditions in Seattle.
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