Honolulu • The University of Utah women’s basketball team suffered its first loss of the season on Friday, falling 89-71 to Gonzaga in the opening round of the Rainbow Wahine Showdown.
Gianna Kneepkens scored a team-high 15 points off the bench for the Utes (4-1), who shot 37.5% from the floor against the Bulldogs (4-1). Kneepkens was 4 of 5 shooting, including 3 for 4 from beyond the arc. Dru Gylten had 14 points and a team-leading nine assists.
Gonzaga opened the game on a 7-0 run and led 40-29 at the half.
“We got outplayed today in every area,” Utes coach Lynne Roberts said. “Gonzaga played a really good game. We started the game really slow and just got in too big of a hole. Gonzaga is too good to do that against. We’re disappointed in how we played, but we will learn and be better tomorrow.”