Utah beats Washington State for 7th straight Pac-12 victory

Updated Feb. 12, 2023 4:00 p.m. ET

Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Alissa Pili scored 15 points and Gianna Kneepkens had 14 points and 12 rebounds to lead No. 7 Utah to a 73-59 victory over Washington State on Sunday.

Jenna Johnson added 14 points and seven boards for Utah, while Daisa Young had 13 points and Kennedy McQueen chipped in 12. Utah (22-2, 12-2 Pac-12) got its seventh straight win.

Bella Murekatete led Washington State (16-9, 6-8) with 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Charlisse Leger-Walker added 17 points.

The Cougars, who shot just 29% from the floor in the second half, lost their third straight to an AP Top 25 opponent.

Utah’s defensive pressure gave Washington State problems throughout the first half, scoring 13 points off seven forced turnovers. Utah closed the second quarter with a 12-3 run, during which Pili and Young combined for four of five baskets.

The Utes had a 41-32 halftime lead, which Washington State cut to 41-36 on back-to-back layups from Murekatete and Leger-Walker early in the third quarter.

But the Cougars never drew closer, and the Utes eventually built a 19-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, going up 68-49 on back-to-back baskets from Kneepkens and McQueen.

BIG PICTURE

Washington State: The Cougars were strong on the glass against Utah but undercut their chance at pulling an upset by struggling to take care of the ball.

Utah: Relentless defense served the Utes well in a game where the shots weren’t falling as frequently as usual.

UP NEXT

Washington State: Hosts Oregon on Friday.

Utah: Visits Arizona on Friday.

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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25