Gonzaga women surprise Utah with a win
Never mind that this Utah team is a shell of its former self: It’s still Utah, one of the most successful women’s basketball teams in the West.
Utah has only had one losing record in 23 seasons under coach Elaine Elliott. Her Utes have had 20 wins 17 times and made the NCAA tournament 14 times.
So after Gonzaga stifled the Utes 57-45 Friday night, Bulldogs coach Kelly Graves couldn’t have been happier.
“This was a good win,” Graves said. “That first half was as good of defensive effort as we’ve had in this gym.”
For an opening game, GU’s defense was in midseason form against a team that went 27-7 last year with an 81-54 whipping of the Zags and lost to eventual national champion Maryland in overtime in the Elite Eight.
The Bulldogs ran up a 28-14 halftime lead by holding Utah, minus three starters, including two first-round WNBA draft picks, from last season’s power house, to 24 percent shooting (6 for 25) and forcing 14 turnovers.
Stephanie Hawk had seven points in a 12-0 run while the Utes went scoreless for 7 minutes. That produced a 19-7 lead and defense allowed the Zags to survive an almost 5-minute dry spell.
Michelle Elliott and Jami Bjorklund, who finished with 11 points apiece to back Hawk’s 18, hit back to back 3-pointers in the final minute to double up the Utes.
“We get tips, then we get out and run, that’s what gets it all started,” said Hawk, who also had eight rebounds, three blocks and three steals. “Staying intense then it carries onto our offense.”
Hawk and Bjorklund had five points each in a 10-2 run that pushed the lead to 18 midway through the second half.
“You just don’t force things,” Hawk said. “You just wait for your open shot, it will come to you.”
Utah shot 35 percent in the second half and only had two turnovers, but couldn’t get back into the game. Fortunately for the Utes, Gonzaga only shot 40 percent for the game, although the Bulldogs were 8 of 17 from 3-point range to Utah’s 3 for 17. Bjorklund and Elliott hit three 3-pointers apiece.
“We’ve got to shoot better,” Graves said. “I don’t think we had a lot of bad shots, we’ve just got to knock them down.”
Still, he was pleased.
“That was a good team, this is going to prove to be an excellent win,” he said. “We have a ways to go but we didn’t play a cup cake.”
The Bulldogs play UC Davis at 2 p.m. Saturday.