Kneepkens returns to lead Utah women with 18 points in season-opening rout over SUU

SALT LAKE CITY — With thousands of elementary-aged children making their presence known in a day game at the Huntsman Center Monday, Gianna Kneepkens drained a 3-pointer 19 seconds into the game, and Utah women's basketball was off and running on the new season.

For Kneepkens, it was simply a chance to be back on the floor with her teammates after a season-ending knee injury derailed last season for the veteran wing. The junior from Duluth, Minnesota, delivered in her return debut with a team-high 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting, four rebounds and four assists.

"I mean, there's no words to describe it," Kneepkens said of her return to the court. "I think just the past 11 months, it's been hard, obviously. But I had — God bless me with great people my life, so just to be back feels good. Those runs were awesome, the crowd with the kids was awesome, so it just feels really great to be back."

As a team, it was easy work against in-state opponent Southern Utah, beating the Thunderbirds 105-52 in a balanced team effort for the season opener.

And when Sam Crispe made a late layup to hit the century mark for the Utes, the students in attendance immediately rose to their feet and cheered with all their might, as if Utah had just hit a game-winning shot.

It was a fun day to be had in the Huntsman Center.

"There was some first game nerves and all the things, and it's Nov. 4, and we're a work in progress, as we should be," Utah head coach Lynne Roberts said. "But I thought our veteran guys looked so good, and they got a lot of rest today, because we got to play the bench quite a bit, which is good."

That veteran unit easily set the tone of the game, starting with post Jenna Johnson, who had team-high 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting at halftime before finishing with 16 points for the game on only one missed shot.

With the absence of Alissa Pili on the floor, Johnson said her goal for the season was to set that aggressive tone to help her teammates out.

"I feel like tonight, I just wanted to come out aggressive, confident and set the tone for the season," Johnson said.

"They didn't have an answer for Jenna," Roberts added. "Jenna could have finished with 40 if I had left her in there — sorry — but she's healthy and rested, so that's good. We're going to need Jenna to have a huge role this year, and she knows that. And I thought you saw her come out with just a level of confidence that I think we need."

Fellow veteran player Kennady McQueen added 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including two made 3-pointers, and Ines Vierra added 6 points, three rebounds and seven assists in a game in which Utah managed 26 assists on 40 made field goals for the game, including 13 made 3-pointers.

But for as well as the offense did to set the tone early and get better as the game went on — including a third quarter in which Utah scored 34 points and started 8-of-8 from the field — it was the defense that overwhelmed the visiting Thunderbirds.

Southern Utah got forced into 24 turnovers for the game, which translated to 33 points on the other end for the Utes, who had no trouble converting on the Thunderbirds' mistakes.

It was a strategy that Roberts focused on coming into the game, knowing that her team had the advantage in size.

"We knew we were bigger and more athletic, so anytime you know that you want to be aggressive defensively — force them into tough decisions," Roberts said.

"So I think it's game plan and just being the bigger team."

To that point, though, Roberts wasn't pleased by her team allowing Southern Utah to shoot 67% from the field in the third quarter, but much of that came when her bench was on the floor, including two freshmen who were getting their first minutes of their collegiate career.

But for a first game, there wasn't much to complain about, knowing that the season will only get much tougher.

"Can't win them all if you don't win the first one, you know, that's what they say," Roberts joked.

Related topics