How Utah women’s basketball rewrote its record book in a night full of 3s

Brandon Judd
·3 min read
Utah guard Isabel Palmer (1) brings the ball up court during a college basketball game against South Carolina State on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, in Salt Lake City.
Utah guard Isabel Palmer (1) brings the ball up court during a college basketball game against South Carolina State on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, in Salt Lake City. | Rick Bowmer, Associated Press

The Utah women’s basketball team lived up to the phrase “take what the defense gives you” on Thursday night in a 108-48 win over South Carolina State at the Huntsman Center.

The Utes set a school record by hitting 21 3-pointers in the blowout win, their second straight game scoring 100-plus points to start the season.

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Utah coach Lynne Roberts attributed the high number of 3-point attempts, 53, to the type of defense SC State was playing.

“I mean, they played zone for 40 minutes and our players are programmed to shoot the 3 if they’re open, and they were obviously clogging (up the paint),” Roberts said. “So, of those 53 attempts, I think they were all good shots, and if those are the shots that we’re given, we’re going to take them.”

How did Utah set the record on a historic night?

By the numbers

  • How many 3-pointers Utah shot: Almost 62% of the Utes’ 86 total shots from the field came from beyond the arc, as Utah made 21 of 53 3-point attempts in the game.

  • 3-pointers by quarter: The Utes’ best quarter shooting the 3 came in the third quarter. A breakdown by quarter: Q1 — 7 of 16 made; Q2 — 4 of 10; Q3 — 7 of 12; Q4 — 3 of 15.

  • Streaks, part I: Utah made 7 out of 9 during one stretch in the first quarter, helping bump its lead out to 31-7.

  • Streaks, part II: After missing its opening 3-point attempt of the third quarter, Utah made 7 of its next 11 to balloon the lead from 32 points at halftime to 40 by the end of the third.

  • Assists: Utah had 31 assists in the game on 39 made field goals, and that percentage increased on 3-point makes. Of the Utes’ 21 made 3-pointers, 20 were assisted.

  • Offensive rebounds: Utah, which had 30 offensive rebounds in the game, scored six of its 3-pointers off of second-chance efforts, including three in the first quarter.

  • What they said: “Offensive rebounds are the best time to shoot a 3. Again, we’re programmed to do that too. We get an offensive board and we’re always looking to the kickout 3,” said Roberts, whose team scored 28 second-chance points.

What players hit 3-pointers?

  • Top shooter: Isabel Palmer led the way for Utah, making 7 of 10 3-pointers on the night to score a game-high 21 points. Her previous high for made 3s in a game was three against Cal-State Fullerton two years earlier. She also hit three 3-pointers in a game for Texas as a freshman before transferring to Utah.

  • Other top performers: Gianna Kneepkens made 4 of 7, Kennedy McQueen 2 of 4 and Wisconsin transfer Maty Wilke hit 3 of 7 for her first points as a Ute.

  • Who else hit 3-pointers: Alissa Pili, Inês Vieira, Lani White, Dasia Young and Alyssa Blanck all made one 3-pointer each.

  • What they said: “We’re not forcing anything. If we’re open, just let it fly,” Palmer said. “I think that’s what she harps on in practice, we do a lot of shooting. Some people might think we do too much but I think it’s awesome. If we can shoot the ball more open, then why not?”