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SALT LAKE CITY — It's safe to assume No. 22 Utah wanted some revenge against No. 8 Colorado Friday night.
On Dec. 30, the Utes controlled an 8-point lead with eight minutes left in the game and looked well on its way to its first win of conference play in Boulder, Colorado. But Colorado erased the near double-digit lead and eventually pulled away for an 11-point win.
Not exactly the best start to open up the conference slate.
That wasn't going to be the case again for a Utah team that has had some up-and-down moments in conference play since Gianna Kneepkens suffered a season-ending injury. Friday night was certainly one of the positive moments ... even if there was some drama at the end.
Utah built up a game-high 18-point lead, and then held on to the bitter end to come away with a 77-76 win on their home floor.
Colorado (20-5, 10-4 Pac-12) cut the lead to 7 in the third quarter off a 12-2 run, but Utah (19-7, 9-5 Pac-12) had an answer. Kennady McQueen punctuated Utah's push back to a double-digit margin with a wide-open 3-pointer to give the Utes a 12-point lead going into the fourth quarter.
On the other end of the quarter break, Alissa Pili collected a rebound and then hit a top-of-the-key 3-pointer on the other end to push the lead to 15.
But Colorado refused to go down without a fight — much like in Boulder — and eventually took a 1-point lead with 19.2 seconds left to play to cap off an 8-0 run by the Buffaloes. On the ensuing inbounds play, Ines Vieira was quickly fouled and sent to the free-throw line, where she drained both shots to reclaim a 1-point lead.
Utah head coach Lynne Roberts called the made free throws "huge," crediting her guard with an all-around tough performance vital in the Utes win. Vieira finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in a gritty performance for the guard known by the nickname "mosquito" in her battle against Jaylyn Sherrod.
"She was fearless tonight, too," Roberts said. "She led the group and defensively she set the tone. Sherrod is as fast as anybody in the country — so is Ines — so that was a like a defensive back battle there with how quick and athletic they are."
The two refused to back down from each other or give an inch. And Sherrod was largely responsible with cutting into Utah's lead with her aggressive defensive presence.
Colorado wasn't done after Vieira made her two free throws, though, and went the length of the court to get a bucket and reclaim a 1-point lead.
Utah had 9.4 seconds to go the length of the court for a chance to win, and though the team still had one timeout left, Roberts said she elected to let the game play out in real time.
"I didn't want to call a timeout, because we were having such a hard time executing, and so I wanted to just get it and push and trust your players," she said. "I have a lot of confidence in these guys, and it was just kind of roll the dice and let them make a play, because I had a feeling if I called timeout — and all this happens in about a half a second right? — but I had a feeling if we called timeout, it plays into them; they can set up and plan a trap or whatever, so it was just get it and go. That's when we're at our best anyway."
Eventually the ball landed in Dasia Young's hands on a pass from Vieira, and she drove to the basket with time quickly ticking away.
Young, who returned for the first time since being in concussion protocol for more than a week, contorted her body around the rim as she got around the defender and hit the walk-off, buzzer-beating layup to give Utah the win.
GAME-WINNER @Dasia_Young11 ‼️#NCAAWBB x 🎥 Pac-12 Network / @UTAHWBB
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) February 17, 2024
pic.twitter.com/pYoJbIJRB4
Her teammates quickly emptied the bench and celebrated the win in a dogpile of Young in the southeast corner of the floor. The refs went to the table to see if there was any time life, but Young's shot left no time. Utah win.
"I know the refs went to the table — and I knew it was good; it was just is there gonna be time left," Roberts recalled. "And so when they called it off, I think I let out a primal scream, but other than that, just soaking it in."
"I have been there when it hasn't went in, but Ines passed it to me, I think, with five seconds left, so she trusted me, and I didn't want to overthink or look for anybody else to do it," Young said. "I just wanted the play in my hands. If we lost it was gonna be on me, and I was OK with that. I feel like as an upperclassmen you've kind of got to take that responsibility. I just went to the goal. I didn't hope, I made it happen."
Young finished 13 points and five rebounds off the bench to help Utah beat a top-10 team — the first of three straight games against top-10 teams. It's just another of several difficult games in the Pac-12 this season.
"It was relief, and then excitement and pride," Roberts said. "This league, it pushes you and tests you in every way. We've been tested this year and pushed, but you know, we're 19-7 and we've won seven of our last nine, and we're doing well. And I have so much confidence in these guys, so to win like that — and much respect for Colorado the way they battled back; that was a heavyweight bout there in that fourth quarter — but we made the last play."
Pili finished with a game-high 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including two made 3-pointers, six rebounds and three assists in the narrow win.
Sherrod and Frida Forman each finished with a team-high 15 points to lead Colorado, and Aaronette Vonleh added 14 points and six rebounds in the loss.
