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The Utah women’s basketball team earned a statement win on Saturday, defeating Hannah Hidalgo and No. 3 Notre Dame women's basketball 78-67 at the Cayman Islands Classic. The Utes overcame a halftime deficit with a dominant second half, handing the Fighting Irish their second consecutive loss.
“I am extremely proud of our team. They showed resilience tonight,” said first-year Utah women’s basketball head coach Gavin Petersen, as reported by Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune. “They were dialed in today and executed. They are starting to buy into our circle. What I mean by that is that we are starting to pick people up when they’re having down days and celebrating every small victory. At halftime, they told me they were having fun and I responded, ‘Absolutely, it sure looks like it.’ That’s the energy we have to continue to build upon.”
Trailing 37-32 at halftime, Utah (6-2) opened the third quarter with an 11-0 run, fueled by a hook shot from Jenna Johnson, who scored 14 points in the game. The Utes held Notre Dame (5-2) to just two free throws in the first five minutes of the third quarter, flipping the momentum in their favor.
Gianna Kneepkens led Utah with 16 points, while Kennady McQueen and Maty Wilke added 15 and 14 points, respectively. Utah’s balanced scoring and team effort proved too much for the Irish, whose leading scorer, Sonia Citron, finished with 22 points.
“Inês (Vieira) is our engine. Since day one she has continued to improve. She has contagious energy and her personality is our heartbeat,” Petersen said, highlighting the depth and versatility of his roster.
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Utah's efficient shooting seals win
Utah shot 45.9% from the field, including 9-of-24 from three-point range, and assisted on 17 of 28 made field goals. In the second half, the Utes were particularly efficient, shooting 14-of-24 and sinking 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. They also made 11-of-13 free throws in the fourth quarter to seal the win, per the Associated Press.
A critical moment came late in the game when Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles fouled out with 2:03 remaining and the Irish trailing 68-60. Matyson Wilke’s three-pointer shortly after extended Utah’s lead and put the game out of reach.
With the win, Utah improves to 3-1 under Petersen, who replaced Lynne Roberts after she was named head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks. The Utes will face Utah State on Dec. 4 at the Delta Center.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame will look to rebound against No. 5 Texas in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Wednesday.
