3 keys to Utah’s heartbreaking loss to LSU in the Sweet 16

Jay Drew
·2 min read
Utah’s Alissa Pili (35) fights for control of the basketball with LSU’s Kateri Poole (55) during the first half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game of the women’s NCAA Tournament in Greenville, S.C., Friday, March 24, 2023.
Utah’s Alissa Pili (35) fights for control of the basketball with LSU’s Kateri Poole (55) during the first half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game of the women’s NCAA Tournament in Greenville, S.C., Friday, March 24, 2023. | Mic Smith, AP

Utah’s run in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament came to a sudden end Friday as No. 3 seed LSU held off the Utes 66-63 in a wild Sweet 16 game in Greenville, South Carolina.

Alexis Morris made four free throws in the final 10 seconds to lift the Tigers into an Elite 8 matchup with Miami on Sunday.

Utah overcame an eight point deficit in the final four minutes and took a 63-61 lead with one minute, nine seconds remaining on two free throws by Issy Palmer.

However, Utah’s Jenna Johnson missed two free throws with 4.7 seconds left that would have given the Utes the lead.

Gianna Kneepkens scored nine straight points to bring the Utes back with four minutes remaining after Utah trailed 60-52 with 3:43 left.

The Utes had a chance to tie at the buzzer, by Dasia Young’s desperation 3-pointer wasn’t close.

Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Utah’s Alissa Pili fights for control of the basketball with LSU’s LaDazhia Williams
Utah’s Alissa Pili fights for control of the basketball with LSU’s LaDazhia Williams | Mic Smith, Associated Press
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP
Mic Smith, AP

Here are 3 keys to Utah’s heartbreaking loss:

• Gianna Kneepkens led the Utes with 20 points on 6 of 16 shooting and Issy Palmer added 15, but leading scorer Alissa Pili struggled and had just 14 points and eventually fouled out.

• The Utes stayed in it by shooting 8 of 22 from 3-point range and holding the Tigers to just three 3-pointers.

• Utah finished with 16 turnovers and gave up too many second-chance points as LSU turned 12 offensive rebounds into 13 second-chance points.